Windsong
by Shadow on the Wall
Summary: Mai has a secret...only Yami knows the entire truth about her, and her twin children,separated at birth...When Tim and Lee discover their connection,they must use the magic they posses to stop the powers of evil...Mai/Joey Seto/Serenity R&R! FINISHED!!!!
1. Damsel in Distress

Hey YGO fans-  
  
Welcome to Chapter one of Windsong. Windsong is the first YGO fic we've ever tried to write. Please review and tell us what you think! Just a few notes. Thanks to Tim for letting us use his name! We really appreciate it, because it really seemed to fit the character. And Ben, too, for the same reason. Also, thanks, Tristan, for offering to help. Even though we declined your offer, we still appreciate it. Okay.  
  
This story does not start at the beginning, but more in the middle. And when you get to the end of the story, it should all make sense.  
  
When something is enclosed in it means that two people are talking telepathically. Ooh.  
  
Umm I can't think of anything else useful to tell you right now. Except, please don't forget to review! Thanks!  
  
-Moon Shadow & Endless Myth  
  
.Isn't anybody trying to find me? Why doesn't somebody come take me home? It's a damn cold night, trying to figure out this life. Come, take me by the hand, take me someplace new.don't know who you are, but I.... I'm with you.  
  
-I'm With You, Avril Lavigne  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter One  
  
Lebecca backed up into the wall, the rough surface scratching her back. She was moving away from the figure approaching her through the rain.  
  
The fog blurred her vision, and the rain made her blonde hair stick to her neck, but she faced him.  
  
"Dan, leave me alone." She cried, the wind picking up her cry and carrying it through the sky. She could hear the echo. Me alone.alone.alo...  
  
"You owe me a rematch, Lee!" Dan grabbed her arm, but she jerked it free.  
  
"Go get a life, Macio!" She said, shaking her head. "It's just a game!"  
  
"So? That's no reason for you to cheat!"  
  
"Cheat? Hey, Dan, I'm not the one whose deck was rigged!"  
  
"You're asking for it, Lee!" He reached out and slapped her. She gasped and put her hand up to her cheek.  
  
"Cut it out!" She tried to push past him, but he blocked her way, and Lee retreated again. "Look, Dan, I'd give you a rematch, but I don't have my deck!"  
  
"Bad excuse, Lebecca Kaiba!"  
  
"Aw, Dan, lay off!" a new voice broke in, and Lee and Dan both turned to see who was talking.  
  
It was a average-height, blonde hair, brown-eyed boy that Lee knew all to well, leaning against the side of the school building. Tim Lear. With him were Ben Caraway, a tall senior with red hair and a skateboard in one hand, and Matt Delacorte, a tan-skinned, dark-haired boy, carrying a back pack.  
  
Dan turned away from Lee, who let out a silent sigh of relief and gathered her purse off the ground, slinging it over her shoulder.  
  
"God, Lear, can't you mind your own business?" He hissed, his eyes flashing.  
  
"No."  
  
"I don't want you to get in the middle of this! It's between me and her!"  
  
"Not anymore!" Ben pushed Tim out of the way and looked Dan straight in the eye. "Macio, we all saw you lose today! Lee kicked your ass out there, and there's no use denying it."  
  
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his own deck. "I'd be happy to duel you if Lee won't, but-"  
  
"Caraway, I don't have anything against you, right now, but let me tell you, you're really pushing it!" Dan yelled. "Why are you guys here anyway? Stay outta my business!" he said, staring at Ben.  
  
Lee stood, her back to the wall, watching. Suddenly a movement next to her startled her into seeing Matt, standing next to her.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Why wouldn't I be?" She asked in response to his question, glaring at him.  
  
Matt just smiled. "I'm Matt Delacorte. I was there today when you demolished Tim over there at his favorite game."  
  
"I saw you." Lee started to say something else, but Dan jerked her by the arm and pulled her towards him. Tim straightened up.  
  
"Hey, Dan, didn't your mother ever teach you not to pick on girls?"  
  
"What's wrong, Tim?" Dan smirked at him. "You want her? You can have her, for all I care." Dan swung Lee towards Ben, who caught her hand and pulled her behind him.  
  
"She's nothing but worthless, law-breaking crap anyway!"  
  
Lee looked down and Matt stepped forwards. "You jerk!" he yelled. "Say that again and you'll wish you'd-"  
  
"Matt! Don't." Lee spoke up quietly. Her right cheek was still red where Dan had hit her. "Don't waste your breath. It's not worth it." She shrugged. "Not that I care. I'm outta here!"  
  
She wrestled free of Ben's hold, and made her way out of the alley, into the fresh, open air, leaving Tim staring after her in disbelief.  
  
  
  
Lee ran through the deserted, rainy streets; head down, sweat dripping from her forehead. She could see the bus stop a few feet ahead of her, and headed towards it. When she heard footsteps behind her, she sped up, running as  
  
fast as she could. But Tim could run faster then she could, and soon caught up. He dodged in front of her. Lee tried to avoid him and  
  
go around, but he caught her shoulders and held her still. For a few seconds, the only sound was the rain on the sidewalk.  
  
"What the hell is your problem?"  
  
"Get out of my way!"  
  
"We just saved your ass back there, and you left without saying anything!"  
  
"I didn't need your help!"  
  
"Could've fooled me! And-" Tim broke off and sighed. "And Matt would've gotten beat up for you, if you'd let him!"  
  
Lee stared at him. Tim slapped his forehead. "Okay, maybe that didn't come out the way  
  
I meant it to. But really, Lee. We were just looking out for you! We're just trying to be your friends."  
  
"Well, this may come as a surprise to you, Tim Lear, but I don't want anything to do with you, or Matt, or Ben. So just stay away from me and everything will be cool!" She  
  
walked past him, and her shoulder brushed up against his. She stopped, and for a fraction of a second, she was staring into his deep brown eyes.  
  
"Okay, Lebecca. You win. We'll leave you alone." Tim stepped out of the way. Lee kept walking towards the bus stop.  
  
"Hey Lee!" She heard Tim call. "The reason we were following you-you forgot this!" She turned to see him throwing a package to her. She caught it neatly and tore away the brown paper that covered it. She looked up in surprise when she saw what it was, and saw  
  
Tim walking away, in the direction of a huge black building. He wasn't to far away from her, and she could see, in the shiny surface of the building, his reflection, and her reflection right next to it. She gasped in surprise: They looked almost exactly alike.  
  
  
  
Sitting on the bus on the way to Domino, Lee absently shuffled through her dueling deck, which had just been returned to her.  
  
We were just looking out for you. I'm Matt Delacorte. Lay off, Dan!  
  
She remembered the way Matt had had his arm around her shoulders, and the way Ben had squeezed her hand reassuringly. Then she  
  
remembered how Tim had challenged her at school earlier, and she was confused. Maybe it was just a friendly challenge. But with  
  
Dan it hadn't been friendly at all. I didn't want to challenge him. I didn't. He might tell it that way, but he was attacking me and I  
  
didn't want to get hurt. But I did anyway. And besides-  
  
"Honey, you look all beat up! Are you okay?"  
  
"Yes, I-"  
  
"Let me get you a tissue, hon, and we can get that nasty cut all cleaned up!" The speaker, a large, friendly motherly woman rummaged  
  
through her purse, triumphantly bringing out a tissue, which Lee accepted gratefully. If she got to her uncle's house looking like this,  
  
it would raise all sorts of awkward questions that she didn't want to answer.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Sure, sweetie, sure." The woman peered closely at the cut. "That's one deep cut, baby! However did you get that?" "Oh-I just got into a fight at school, and, well, you know." Lee smiled as if to say, yes, it's true, isn't that silly? The woman clucked her tongue sympathetically, and said, "My, my. You be careful, you hear?"  
  
She smiled at Lee and rose, taking her purse with her as the bus lurched to a stop. Lee smiled weakly and pressed the tissue harder against her cut. She held it there with one hand and with the  
  
other she turned over the top card on her deck. When she saw it, she gasped and dropped the tissue.  
  
The Magician of Faith.  
  
Lee stared at it, confused. But I don't have that card, she thought to herself. Then she remembered the smile Tim had given her. She  
  
covered her face with her hands, her deck resting on her lap. He had given her more than a smile. That stubborn pig. He was making a promise.  
  
But why me?  
  
Tim Lear ran down the street. I am never going to make it on time. Crud, Cindy's going to kill me if I'm not back in time to see Mother! He thought to himself as he sprinted towards his neighborhood. He heard a car drive up behind him, but he didn't stop to  
  
see, and instead kept running, with his head down.  
  
"Hey Tim!" He looked up when he heard Ben calling him, to see a beat up blue car pull up besides him. Ben was hanging out of the  
  
passenger side window.  
  
"You want a ride, Tim?" Ben's girlfriend, Sara Vole, was driving. Tim grinned and got into the backseat besides Matt.  
  
"Dude, we've been looking all over for you. Where'd you run off to?" Ben had turned around and was looking at his friend curiously. "I mean, why didn't you at least wait for the rest of us?"  
  
"I had to give her deck back, and I wanted to do it before I forgot. Hey Sara, could you take me to my house? Cindy's gonna murder me."  
  
"That's where I was going." Sara looked back at Tim and smiled, her black hair swinging. "It would suck for you to be late to see your mother."  
  
"What did Lee say?" Ben persisted.  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Spill."  
  
"She basically told me to go to hell and take you with me."  
  
"O-kay! That's positive!"  
  
"Well, I put the Magician of Faith in her deck and she should be really confused when she sees it, but maybe she'll get the message."  
  
"You have the Magician of Faith?" Matt asked. Ben just stared at him.  
  
"Wait. Why did you do that?" Ben questioned.  
  
"You have the Magician of Faith?"  
  
"What, Ben, can't you see the deep underlying message?"  
  
"Noooo..."  
  
"YOU have the Magician of Faith???"  
  
"Shut up!" Ben shook his head. "It's a good card."  
  
"Ohh, guys, guess what happens tomorrow?" Tim smiled evilly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I turn sixteen tomorrow. I can drive tomorrow!"  
  
"Wow, Tim, that's excellent." Ben paused. "Guess what happens in August?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I turn eighteen. I'm going to college next year, me amigo." Ben gave his friend the thumbs up sign and faced forward, whistling under his breath. Tim turned to Matt.  
  
"Sometimes I really hate that guy."  
  
  
  
Lee stepped through the door into the apartment her uncle shared with his friend. The front hall was unusually clear and  
  
uncluttered. Lee heard voices and walked into the den, a large, spacious room, with marks on the floor from where furniture had been  
  
been pulled from its original position to where it was now, two chairs at either end of a small table. They didn't notice her come in,  
  
and Lee walked quietly around behind her uncle, peering over his shoulder at a fan of five cards. She studied the field considering the  
  
moves he could make. They were limited. ...And that was not one of them. So much for secrecy.  
  
"I wouldn't play that card, if I were you." Lee bent her head down over the field, her hair falling over her face and pointed her finger at a different card.  
  
"I'd play that in combination with that"-she pointed again- "And attack that."  
  
Her uncle, a tall, blonde haired man started and turned around to see her staring innocently at the board.  
  
"Lee-" he began, but she clapped a hand over his mouth. "I know. I'm late. I was...hanging with some friends. But that's not  
  
important," she continued, slightly turning one of his face down cards so she could see what it was. "Whats important, is that- holy  
  
god! Why don't you just play that monster and then activate this card?" Lee shook her head in disgust as her uncle smiled sheepishly up at her.  
  
"I don't know, Lee. Just forgot it was there, I guess." He reached for a card in his hand and placed it on the field. "I play the Flame Swordsman in attack mode...and activate Salamandra to raise its attack to 2500. And attack the Curse of Dragon, I guess."  
  
"Well, at least we're getting somewhere now." Lee turned and went into the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, "I'm hungry, okay? give me thirty seconds."  
  
"Cool."  
  
Her uncle's friend, who had been watching quietly, drew a card from his deck and smiled. "Well, Joey, You played well today, but  
  
somehow I think I've got you beat." He flipped up a facedown card. De- spell. "First, I'll get rid of Salamandra with this. And now..."  
  
He reached for a card in his hand. "...I'll play the Dark Magician! In attack mode! And after I attack that'll bring you life points down  
  
to...negative 700? Yeah, that seems right." He smiled at his friend. "Good game, he said as he collected his cards off the table. "You  
  
almost beat-" He dropped his cards in surprise as Lee came back in to the room. "Lebecca! What happened to your face?" He ran  
  
towards her, concerned. "Joey, come look at this! God, Lee! What were you doing?"  
  
Joey threw down his hand and rushed to his niece. "Yeah, you look like someone beat you up pretty bad."  
  
"No-no, I just fell getting off the bus."  
  
"Getting off the bus?" Joey looked over his niece's shoulder at his friend. "Whadda ya say, Yug? This look like a fall to you?"  
  
"I don't know." Yugi Motou looked at Lee with his deep eyes. "I believe you, but...aw, c'mon, lets get Lee cleaned up before we do anything."  
  
"Sure." Joey grabbed Lee's shoulders and marched her into the kitchen, where a year's worth of dirty dishes were sitting, waiting to  
  
get washed. When Lee was pushed into view of the mirror that was hanging above the sink, she gasped. Her face was cut where Dan's fingernails had scratched her, and it was bleeding. She had a rip in her shirt, and her some of her hair had come out of it's braid.  
  
If I had known I looked this bad, I would've cleaned up more before I got here. She thought wistfully. Dammit, why didn't Tim tell me I was so beat up?  
  
"God, Lee!" Joey was saying, grabbing a damp towel and wiping the dirt and blood off her face. "Do you have any idea what your sister is going to do to me? Any idea at all?"  
  
"Well, I'll just tell her it wasn't your-Ow!" She flinched as Yugi gently rubbed soapy water into the big cut on her forehead.  
  
"Hold still!" he quietly reprimanded. "It's gonna sting a little."  
  
"You know, Lebecca, if you didn't get into fights at school nearly as often, you wouldn't have to put up with thins."  
  
Lee sighed. "I told, you Uncle; I wasn't fighting." She lied. "I just had a bad fall and-" As if on cue, the phone rang. Having some idea who it was, and not wanting to talk to them, Lee suggested, "Let's just let that go."  
  
"Good idea, " Joey said. "We have to get you cleaned up. We'll just let the answering machine get that."  
  
Lee started. "You have an answering machine? Since when?"  
  
"Oh, we just installed it today. For when we don't want to answer the phone, you know?"  
  
*Beep* This is the Motou-Wheeler's house. We're not answering because,  
  
A)We don't want to talk to you B) We're not home Or C) We're home, want to talk to you, but unable to come to the phone. Please leave an un-detailed message at the beep, and we may or may not get back to you. Thanks! *Beep*  
  
"Um, hi, Lee, this is Matt Delacorte, I was wondering if you could give me the English assignment, and I also wanted to make sure that you're okay after Dan-" the voice was cut off as Lee snatched the phone of the hook.  
  
"Shut up!" She hissed at Matt. "You're going to get me in trouble!"  
  
"Sorry, I-"  
  
"I have to go! Good -bye!"  
  
"Wait!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Can I have the English assignment?"  
  
Lee sighed. "Write a report about something that was invented a long time ago that we still use today!"  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Good-bye Matt!"  
  
"Later." He hung up. Lee slowly replaced the receiver, and turned to see Joey and Yugi looking at her, arms folded.  
  
"All right, Lee." Joey pushed her into a chair. "You've got some explaining to do."  
  
***  
  
He crossed his arms across his chest and stared at the girl standing across from him.  
  
"What are you doing here?" He asked, his heart pounding.  
  
"Well," She said, moving closer, "I was alone, and saw you, and thought that if you're alone, and I'm alone, we might as well be alone together.  
  
"You should leave. It won't look right if they come back, and we're here...together..." His voice trailed off into silence, and she moved closer still, close enough for him to touch.  
  
"Why not? I thought we were friends..." She stared at him innocently.  
  
"I know what you've been doing, and it's not right! I won't be like the others, I won't be so easily-"  
  
"So you've heard?" She cut him off. "So have a lot of the others. But I don't mind." She shook her head, making her blonde hair wave back and forth. "If you know as much as you say, then you know that..." She stepped right up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing up against him.  
  
"I'll know what?" He protested lamely, trying to release himself from her grasp, and failing. Not really wanting to succeed. "What do I know?"  
  
"You'd know that this isn't how I operate," She sighed, and when he looked down at her tears were forming in her eyes. It occurred to him that she might be being sincere.  
  
"No." He said quietly, "It's not." He leaned down and stroked her face with his hand. "But, if you knew me better-" He stepped back, his hand lingering on her cheek momentarily before it dropped back to his side- "You'd know that I don't either."  
  
"I-"  
  
"Don't talk to me! I know what you're trying to do, and I won't give in!"  
  
She looked at him sadly. "How can I convince you that I'm not leading you on?"  
  
"You can't."  
  
"But I'm not!"  
  
"That's what you told-"  
  
"I know. But I'm sorry. The only person I've ever loved is-"  
  
"Let me guess." He said sarcastically. "Standing right in front of you?"  
  
She looked down. "Yes."  
  
"Oh, okay. I guess you are expecting me to hug you, and kiss you and tell you everything's all right?"  
  
"No!" Now she was angry, too. "I just wanted to say that-" But she was cut off when he drew her close and pushed her head against  
  
his shoulder. He pulled her up and kissed her gently.  
  
"I love you, too." They kissed again.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
Moon Shadow: I sorta like it as a first chapter.  
  
Endless Myth: You just say that because you wrote it.  
  
Moon Shadow: Nooo! I like it!  
  
Endless Myth: Yeah, whatever.  
  
Moon Shadow: No, really. And even if it sucks, it's my first Yu-Gi-Oh fic, so you can cut me a little slack!  
  
Endless Myth: Yeah, I can imagine that YGO would be a little different from Ninja Turtle fanfic.  
  
Moon Shadow: You dissing the TMNT?  
  
Endless Myth: Yeah.  
  
Moon Shadow: I hate you.  
  
Endless Myth: That's great. Okay, please read and review! Really, just click the little button and write something.  
  
Moon Shadow: Seriously. It'll take about thirty seconds.  
  
Endless Myth: Oh, FYI, we don't, unfortunately, own YGO. Oh, well.  
  
Moon Shadow: Oh, and, please tell us in your review if you're interested in seeing the second chapter. This is different from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But they rock too.  
  
Endless Myth: Let's try to stick to the subject.  
  
Moon Shadow: Happy multi-cultural winter holiday, everyone!  
  
P.S. from both of us: If you could, in your review please state that you DON"T want Ben to ride his skateboard off the roof, because we're really worried for his personal safety right now. 


	2. Hints

Moon Shadow: Yeah, yeah, yeah, we don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. OK? I admit it.  
  
Endless Myth: That would sorta explain why we're writing fanfiction, now wouldn't it?  
  
Moon Shadow: Now, now, be nice to the kind readers.  
  
Endless Myth: Oh, fine. Please read and review!  
  
Moon Shadow: Key word being: REVIEW  
  
Endless Myth: Yeah! I did!  
  
Moon Shadow: You doofus. How many times have I told you: Don't review your own stories!!  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter Two  
  
"I've given you my answer!"  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, perhaps you could reconsider our offer-"  
  
"No."  
  
"Maybe you don't understand how much your company will profit from-"  
  
"No. Maybe you don't understand how dangerous that tournament was!"  
  
"Strange, you've never been concerned with safety before!"  
  
"Now that I have a daughter in the game, it's like I've been dealt a whole new hand."  
  
The man smiled. "Ah, yes, but please remember that your daughter cannot duel due to this new law.am I correct?"  
  
Seto Kaiba leaned over his desk and stared the man in the eye. "That law is ridiculous and hopefully will be destroyed before any real damage can come of it! Now, I suggest you get out of my office before I lose my temper!"  
  
"We will take our offer to Industrial Illusions!"  
  
"Good. Now get the heck out of here!"  
  
The man stood up. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Kaiba."  
  
"Leave!"  
  
As the man walked towards the elevator, he saw a tall, blonde haired woman knock softly on the door of Seto Kaiba's office. "Seto?" she walked in without waiting for an answer, something that was never done. The man looked at the elevator, then back at the door. He tiptoed towards the office door and stationed himself just outside it.  
  
"Seto."  
  
A rustling of paper.  
  
"Mai. It's good to see you again."  
  
"And you. But I don't have time to chat, I'm afraid. I need to talk to you about my son."  
  
"Timothy?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What about him?"  
  
"Well.I'm leaving. I'd hope'd that you could get this message to him. "  
  
"What? Mai, where are you going? "  
  
"New York. I have to get away from Peter, Seto! Even if it means leaving behind ____" Seto had slammed a book down on the table and the man couldn't hear the last word.  
  
"Crud, Mai-"  
  
"I've made my decision, and there's nothing you can do about it! We both know that I can be just as stubborn as you."  
  
  
  
The salesman had heard enough. He got into the elevator and rode down to the lobby, thinking about what he'd just heard.  
  
  
  
Tim Lear burst into his house, bringing a draft of the warm spring air in with him. He slammed the door. Instantly, he heard a voice ring through the house.  
  
"Mommy, Tim's home!" It came from a small brown-haired girl of about six- his sister Hope. She came galloping down the stairs and landed on his back.  
  
"Ow! God, Hope! Get off!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I have to go see my mother, that's why!" He snapped back at her.  
  
"Oh." Hope slid off Tim's back and landed ungracefully on the floor. "You mean Ms. Valentine?"  
  
"Yes. My mother." Tim started into the kitchen but turned back when he saw the look on Hope's face. Of all five of his adoptive brothers and sisters, she was his favorite. He sighed and went back to Hope. Hoisting her up on his shoulders, he kicked off his shoes and slid across the hardwood floor in his socks.  
  
"Whooaa-" It was hard to slow down, and Tm found himself careening towards the wall, and instinctively held out his hands to stop himself. He hit the wall with a crash, looked behind him to see if Hope was okay. She was, but she was staring, surprised, through the doorframe. Tim peered around the corner and saw Cindy, his foster mother, sitting on a couch across from a woman.  
  
"Ah, Tim," Cindy called, "Come here. There's someone I'd like you to meet."  
  
"Sure." Tim set Hope down, and whispered, "Go find Christa and see if she'll play Parcheesi with you, okay?"  
  
"Okay!" Hope set off down the hall, calling, "Chris-ta! Where are you?"  
  
Tim watched her for a second, then turned and walked into the living room. Cindy, a tall, brown haired woman, sat, legs crossed, watching him come in. The woman sitting across from her had raven black hair and an unreadable expression.  
  
"Tim," Cindy said, "This is Mrs. Ora. She's your mother's attorney."  
  
Tim smiled weakly and shook Mrs. Ora's outstretched hand. "It's nice to meet you."  
  
"And you. But there is something we need to discuss, and I'm a very busy woman." She opened her briefcase and took out an envelope, clearly addressed to "Tim Lear". She handed it to him, but took her hand away when he reached for it.  
  
"Tim." She said, sighing, "I should warn you that you might not like what is in here."  
  
"What is it?" Cindy spoke up, her voice dangerously quiet.  
  
"Open it and see." Mrs. Ora said, handing it to him. "You'll see."  
  
Tim carefully tore open the envelope. A letter and two cards fell out. He pushed the cards to the side and unfolded the letter, aware of Mrs. Ora and Cindy watching him. He sat down.  
  
Dear Tim, (the letter said)  
  
I'm sorry to tell you that I'm leaving Nahway for a while. I'm going to New York City. I'm sorry that I could not be here for your birthday. Sixteen! Your father (had he known) would've been very proud of you, just like I am. Congratulations, darling, and happy birthday!  
  
Love, Your mother, Mai Valentine  
  
Tim nodded and set the letter on the table, turning over the two duel monsters cards that had fallen out and studying them closely. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, Cindy pick up the letter-his letter-an read it silently. He turned back to the cards. Mirror Wall and Shadow of Eyes. Two of his mother's favorites. Slipping the cards into his pocket, he stood up slowly from the couch, and said to Mrs. Ora,  
  
"Well. Thank you. I hope I'll see you again sometime soon."  
  
She nodded and gave him a weak smile. He had no doubt that she knew the contents of the letter, and he also knew that she felt sorry for him. People were always feeling sorry for him.  
  
Cindy, finishing the letter, set it down in disbelief. Tim shook Mrs. Ora's hand again and walked to the door without a word.  
  
"Oh dear." Cindy put her hand to her cheek. "I should go after him." She started to follow him, but Mrs. Ora stopped her.  
  
"No, don't. He'll be okay." She gathered her briefcase and coat. "I'll just see myself out, then." She nodded to Cindy and left the house, taking with her any feelings of happiness, leaving only despair.  
  
Once in the room he shared with Jonathan, Tim flung himself on his bed, and, clutching his mother's cards to his chest, cried his heart out.  
  
Tim had, during her frequent visits, questioned his mother about his father. Who is he where is he, why did he go, what was he like- and Mai could offer no answer but to say that Tim had been born when she was fifteen, and she had no choice but to give him up for adoption. She would say, with her eyes lowered, that she wasn't entirely sure who his father was. But Tim knew that wasn't true, he knew that almost as surely as he knew his own name. She knew, all right. She just wasn't going to tell. And he held onto that fact like a mouse to a woodchip in a flowing river.  
  
Lee's mother called Joey almost immediately after Matt had called Lee, so she was spared, somewhat, having to tell her uncle and Yugi about Dan. In her cal, Serenity Kaiba had explained that, in honor of Lee's birthday tomorrow, Joey and Yugi were invited over for dinner.  
  
Now, sitting in the living room of the huge Kaiba house, Yami, riding along in Yugi's puzzle as always, felt a disturbance.  
  
Yugi.   
  
Yes?   
  
Let me take over. Please.   
  
Why?   
  
I'm worried about Lee. I'm afraid she's going to do something stupid.   
  
Sure. I trust you.   
  
Good. They switched minds. The shuffle was almost undetectable now, after nearly fifteen years of practice.  
  
"And so then she says something so-Oh, Seto, you're home." Serenity had been talking about the parent-teacher conference she had had with Lee's math teacher when her husband had ran in the door, late as usual.  
  
"Yes, and you wouldn't believe the traffic on the way. Hello, Joey, Yugi." He dropped his briefcase in the corner and then sat down by his wife.  
  
Yugi.  
  
What now?   
  
I can't shake that feeling.  
  
"And I go the most horrible reports about-Oh, Yugi-"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Could you go see what that daughter of mine is doing? I really don't understand how changing into a drier shirt can take so long!"  
  
"Oh, I'll go get her." Joey half rose from his seat, but Yami beat him to it.  
  
"No, I will." He smiled. "I'd be delighted."  
  
"Thank you. Now, like I was saying, Mrs. Connors kept telling me how horribly Lebecca behaves in her class, and." Yami started up the stairs.  
  
Lee was sitting on the roof outside her bedroom window, the wind blowing through her hair. She looked up at the stars in the night sky.  
  
"So immense." she murmured to herself. "So big." She reached into her sweatshirt pocket and pulled out a glass sphere, filled with cloudy smoke and with a golden eye etched on the front. She cradled it to her and rubbed her fingers at it. Then-  
  
"Show me the future," she commanded, and the smoke inside turned bright red, then faded to a milky white. "Tim Lear." She said, and saw a clear picture of her.friend.lying on his bed, looking into.Lee gasped. No.but it was.he was peering into a sphere identical to her own. And in his sphere, she could see, over his shoulder-  
  
"The powers of a millennium item are not to be used lightly, Lebecca," a soft voice came from behind her. She whirled around, and the picture in her sphere faded until it was just gray smoke.  
  
"Yami-" She said, surprised, but he simply came and sat down beside her on the edge of the roof.  
  
"They're beautiful, aren't they. " he said, looking up.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He looked directly at her. "You like him, don't you." It wasn't a question.  
  
"What? I-no!"  
  
Yami laughed. "Okay. You don't have to tell me." When she glared at him, he added, "Hey, calm down. I could read Yugi's mind when he was a teenager, you know."  
  
Lee blushed, but then when she saw he was teasing her, she laughed and said, "Yeah. I notice neither he nor my uncle has been in any rush to get married."  
  
"Maybe." Yami stood up, and walked back towards the window. "Come on. Your mother's worried about you." All signs of teasing were gone from his voice.  
  
"What? What did I say?" Lee jumped up and followed him. "Yami, what's wrong?"  
  
He faced her. How could they not notice? It was so obvious, the resemblance. He studied her face carefully. Her profile was sharp and clear. He brushed her blonde hair out of her eyes and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "Nothing. Just.hey, don't forget, Joey could tell you a thing or two about romance, if you'd only ask."  
  
Lee stared at him, but he ducked back in through the window. "C'mon, Lee, your mother has dinner on the table." She nodded and followed him, taking one lingering glance up at the stars before entering the safety of the house.  
  
  
  
Tim lay on his bed, hands wrapped tightly around a glass sphere. "Show me the past," he whispered. When the glass had gone from gray, to red, to white, he whispered, "Lebecca Kaiba." The glass showed her, blonde hair being whipped around by the wind. He got a glimpse of what she was doing- staring, mesmerized; in to a sphere not unlike his own-before the picture went blank. Then it cleared, and he saw her, eating dinner with her family.  
  
Tim sighed. "Wish I had a family like that," he muttered to himself, and just had time to shove his sphere behind his pillow as Hope came rushing into the room.  
  
"Tim-"  
  
"Not now-"  
  
"Tim, Lizzie-Beth is crying and Mommy is asleep! She won't stop!"  
  
"Well, get Maddie-"  
  
"She's not here!"  
  
"Christa, than, or Jon-" He tried again.  
  
Hope just stared at him.  
  
He sighed. "Fine, fine." He rose wearily from his bed and ran into the next room, a pink blur of teddy bears and dolls. Cries rose from the cradle in the corner. He went and lifted his sister up and rocked her back and forth.  
  
"Hey, Lizzie, hey Lizzie-Beth," he crooned, and gradually the cries weakened and stopped.  
  
Tim sat down in a rocking chair in the corner and silently rocked her, his own tears falling on to the baby's cheeks. As she fell asleep, he hugged her close and whispered,  
  
"I'll always be here, Lizzie, always; I'll never go off and leave you." But the infant couldn't understand his words, or his pain, and simply turned over in her sleep, leaving Tim completely and utterly alone.  
  
** *  
  
"Don't go, please!" He begged her, tears filling his brown eyes as he clutched her hands.  
  
"I have to, really.I'm sorry." She freed herself from his tight hold and set off towards he forest, but the look in his eyes was so bitter that she turned and flung herself in his arms.  
  
"Please," He whispered, his face buried in her blonde hair. "Don't leave me here, I love you."  
  
"And I you," She stroked his face. "But I should never have come and I plan to leave. Now." She turned her face up for one last kiss, and then left, the same way she had come, shattering his heart into a million pieces.  
  
Joey Wheeler never saw Mai Valentine again.  
  
***  
  
Endless Myth: Well.  
  
Moon Shadow: Oh come on. It wasn't that bad!  
  
Endless Myth: Could've been worse, I admit it.  
  
Moon Shadow: Picky, picky, picky.  
  
Endless Myth: *sighing at partner's lack of intelligence* Please review, people! 


	3. Blown Away

Moon Shadow: Hey everybody thanks for the reviews!  
  
Endless Myth: Yeah, we really appreciate the feedback! Actually, it was more positive than we would've thought!  
  
Moon Shadow: I really have nothing to say-  
  
Endless Myth: For once!  
  
Moon Shadow: -So, here's chapter three! Hope you enjoy it!  
  
*** Chapter Three  
  
Ben Caraway listened absently as his father yelled at him.  
  
"...Only person good enough to beat you would be Yugi Motou himself but you still don't appreciate it, do you, no, you just go somewhere with your little friends and never mind how much work I do for you, well I have news for you, Benjamin Caraway, you can't go anywhere until I say you're ready for nationals, and that's the truth..."  
  
He tied up the laces on his shoes and jammed his hat onto his head, smashing down his red hair. Glancing bitterly in the hall mirror, he saw his reflection sitting on the stairs. Tall, wiry, red hair, t-shirt that was too big for him on his skinny frame-that was him, all right.  
  
"...Are you even listening to me? You had better be listening, young man, or there will be dire consequences for you, ever since you mother left, I swear you've been very surly and I'm not sure I like your attitude...maybe you should go live with your mother, is that what you want? Because if that's what you want to do, it can be arranged, and not a moment to soon, in my opinion..."  
  
God, what a question. Did Ben ever want to go live with his beautiful, kind mother! But she had left him with his father and gone off to marry some guy who Ben had never met. The new husband hadn't wanted Ben to live with them, though, so even though Ben and his father would've both liked for him to leave, it was impossible.  
  
".... And if you don't start being more grateful, I swear you'll be out of this house the moment you turn eighteen and you can forget about college! And good riddance is all I have to say! But..."  
  
Ben grabbed his stuff without a word and ran out the door, slamming it behind him. His father said it like leaving would be a bad thing. Ben flipped up his skateboard and rode downtown to the park where he was supposed to meet Tim and Matt. His father would never give up. Ben didn't care, though. He had heard it before, and he would hear it again, so what was the point of listening?  
  
When he got to the park, Tim and Matt were already there, talking in low voices. They didn't even see him until he was next to them. They were sitting on a low brick wall, their backs to the street. It was a gorgeous spring day; the sky was bright blue, the sun was out, and it was fairly warm. Ben jumped off his skateboard and approached his friends.  
  
"Hey guys."  
  
They turned. "Oh. Ben. Hi." Matt said, and looked back at the fountain that was spouting water.  
  
Ben turned to Tim. "What's wrong with him?"  
  
Tim sighed. "That's what I've been trying to figure out for the last half hour." He shook his head. "This boy doesn't need a friend; he needs a guidance counselor!"  
  
Ben smiled. "Hmm. Would he be sad about a certain someone whose name is L-e- e?"  
  
Matt looked up sharply. "No!"  
  
"Sorry, sorry. Hey, Tim, would you have a practice duel with me? If I lose my title in nationals, I don't know what my dad is gonna do to me."  
  
"Was he at it again?" Tim asked sympathetically while getting his deck out.  
  
"Just a little bit..."  
  
"Man, I'm sorry."  
  
"Yeah, well...you can go first."  
  
"Cool." Tim drew five cards from his deck and studied them. Ben did the same. He hated this game. A lot of people thought it was fun, but for him, it was just repetitive and dull. He had played this so many times, gone through the motions, the little rituals so many times that there was no fun in it anymore.  
  
"Okay-I'll play this in defense mode." Tim set a card on the top of the wall that they were using as a field. "And this card face down."  
  
Ben sighed. "Judge Man in attack mode, one card face down, and attack your face down monster with Judge Man." Tim flipped his card over.  
  
"Mystical Elf." He set it in the graveyard. Matt was watching them play.  
  
"I have never understood what is so fascinating about this game." He said exasperatedly. "It's stupid." He watched for a minute as Tim made his next move. "It's also addictive."  
  
The game was over in a matter of turns. Ben's strategies never failed, and they were also hard to counter. Tim collected his cards. "Ben, I really don't think you have anything to worry about at that tournament."  
  
"I'm not worried." Ben slipped his deck into his pocket. "I don't even care. It's just my dad who cares." He looked down. "I just can't wait until I graduate next year."  
  
"Why?" Matt asked, curious.  
  
"I'll hopefully get a Duel Monster's Scholarship." Ben answered. "Sara and I are planning to go to the same college so we can get married when we graduate." He gave a wistful smile. "Right now, college is the only thing I have to look forward to."  
  
Matt started to say something, but Tim broke in. "Guys," he said quietly, "I have to tell you something." He brought out his sphere from the backpack sitting next to him on the wall. Ben gasped.  
  
"Tim! Put that away!" Matt hissed. "You know your mother said to-" He grimaced. "I mean, you don't know who could be watching!"  
  
Tim shook his head. "Lee has the other millennium sphere," he said softly.  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"I just now-I saw her. I just know."  
  
"But that means-"  
  
"I know. Shut up! There must be a mistake. I have to find out if she knows what it is, and if she knows how to use it."  
  
"Tim, it's dangerous, we don't know what the spheres will do if we bring them close together!"  
  
"Yes, but-" Tim was cut off mid-sentence by a new voice. A female voice.  
  
"Yeah Lear! Could be dangerous, never know what could happen." The three boys looked up and saw Lee Kaiba standing a few feet away from them, hip slung out carelessly, arms folded, her long, thick hair flowing down around her shoulders. The sphere of the future on a chain around her neck, hanging out in the open for all to see.  
  
Tim leaped up. Ben had gone quiet like he always did around people he didn't know to well, and Matt was staring wordlessly at Lee, who, like always, looked spectacular.  
  
It's times like this, Matt thought to himself, that she looks nothing like Tim. Nothing at all. But then at other times, they're practically interchangeable!  
  
Tim stepped up to Lee. "How long have you been listening?" He asked, dangerously quiet. "How much did you hear?"  
  
"I heard enough!" She tossed her head. "But if you want to know more, why don't you use your sphere?" She smirked. "I assume you know how to use it."  
  
Tim's hand crept involuntarily towards the sphere that he had slipped quickly into his pocket. Then he stopped. "Only you, Lee, would use magic you don't understand for things like that."  
  
"What makes you so sure I don't understand it?" She questioned. When he didn't answer, she continued, "Look, Lear, just because you're stupid doesn't mean I can't use magic to my own advantage!"  
  
"Why you-"  
  
"Hey, hey." Lee held out her hands peaceably. "I didn't come to argue with you, Tim." She laughed. "It's really sort of pointless, anyway." She dug in her purse and came up with an envelope. "I came to give you this." She held it out, and after a moment's hesitation, he took it. It was flat, and it didn't feel like there was anything inside it.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Open it and see." Lee craned her neck and looked behind Tim at Matt and Ben. "Hey Matt," she smiled at him. Matt mumbled something indecipherable and looked down. Lee shrugged and looked back at Tim, who was looking at the card inside the envelope.  
  
"I gave this to you, Lee." he said.  
  
"And I'm giving it back."  
  
"No." He held the Magician of Faith out to her. When she didn't take it, he reached for her hand and pushed the card into it. "It was a gift. Keep it."  
  
Lee stared at him. It was the second time she had been faced with his dark eyes, deep and full of meaning. "All right," she said. "All right." And he let go of her hand. Once again Lee looked over at Ben. "Good luck at nationals, Ben. Wish I could enter." she said. He nodded and kept his eyes on the ground.  
  
"Catch ya later, Matt."  
  
"Yeah," He managed to get out. "Later." This time he looked straight at her. He held her gaze for a minute, and then stared at a crack in the pavement.  
  
"Bye, Tim."  
  
"Lee-"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Maybe we could all-actually, never mind."  
  
Lee walked away. Then she turned and yelled, "See? The spheres were within two feet of each other and nothing disastrous happened!" She grinned. "And happy birthday!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Happy birthday!"  
  
"Oh." Then he raised his voice. "You too!"  
  
Lee turned one last time and ran around the corner. Tim unclenched his hand, and found, to his surprise, the Magician of Faith, and another card, Wingweaver. He stared at the second card, dumbfounded. He read and reread the blurb at the bottom of the card.  
  
A six winged fairy who prays for peace and hope.  
  
Peace, and hope.  
  
Peace.  
  
Tim grinned. She had given him a response to the Magician of Faith. She was declaring truce. "Of course." he muttered, smiling, then walked back over to sit by his friends on the wall next to the fountain. Two blocks away, walking down the street, Lee was smiling.  
  
  
  
Tim burst into his house at five o'clock, and found his family in an uproar.  
  
"Tim! Can you baby-sit Lizzie tonight?"  
  
"No, I was going out with Tina-"  
  
"Great. I'll have to find a baby-sitter." Cindy sighed as she fastened on an earring. "How is it that everyone is busy today? Maddie, Jon and you all have dates, Alisa is driving Christa, Hope and Jack to the movies, and Ryan and I have a dinner party to go to..." she wandered out, still talking to herself. Tim jogged up the stairs to his room and hurriedly ran a comb through his ruffled blonde hair. He splashed some water on his face and ran back downstairs to meet Tina, stopping only briefly to wrestle down and tickle his younger brother Jack. But when he reached the door, he still had five minutes to spare.  
  
"Ti-im!" Cindy called from the living room, " Come here and get Lizzie-Beth to go to sleep, she won't settle down and I don't want the baby- sitter to have to deal with her when she's like this-" Tim was already in the room, cradling his sister.  
  
"Oh, good," Cindy beamed at him. "I'll just go finish getting ready if you can..." she left the room leaving it strangely quiet. The only sounds were those of the hectic jumble of children in the front hall. Tim pressed Lizzie against him. She cried and pushed on his chest.  
  
"Shh, Lizzie, quiet down." Tim rocked her back and forth. She still fussed and fidgeted. He stroked her cheek with one hand and sang softly to her.  
  
Earth in motion, sand and rolling seas. Wind and ocean, fire be lit in me. The wind is blowing, harsh and cold and strong. Rain is falling, down to touch the earth in motion, sand and rolling seas. Wind and ocean, fire be lit in me.  
  
Tim whispered the last line, and set his sleeping sister down in her cradle, her hand curled and lying under her cheek.  
  
"Tim..." he whirled around and saw none other than Tina Bellevara, straight brown hair wrapped up in a bun, her blue eyes stunning and cold.  
  
"Tina!" He gathered her in his arms and kissed her. "Hey, who let you in?"  
  
"Cindy." Tina hugged him. "Happy birthday."  
  
They heard the doorbell ring, and Tim groaned. "Thanks. Lets go, Tina."  
  
"Why in such a hurry?"  
  
"I don't wanna have to meet the baby-sitter."  
  
"Oh."  
  
They went out through the back door just as Cindy let the baby-sitter in.  
  
"Oh, hello, dear," they could hear her saying. " Thanks for coming on such short notice." They didn't wait to hear her answer. Tina and Tim had run, laughing, out of the house and around to her car.  
  
Later, around ten, Tina's car pulled up in front of the Lear house again. Tim leaned over and kissed her before unfastening his seatbelt and leaving the car. As he was ducking out the door, she clasped his hand.  
  
"Tim what was song you were singing to Lizzie when I came in?"  
  
"Oh. That." He shrugged. "It was something my mother used to sing to me."  
  
"It was beautiful," she said, and let go of his hand.  
  
"Thanks." he smiled. "Good night."  
  
"Bye. Call me, okay?"  
  
"You got it." Tim ran up his front walk and opened the door. He kicked off his shoes in the front hall and went in to the kitchen. He didn't see the baby-sitter anywhere, and ran hurriedly through the rest of the downstairs rooms.  
  
Tim stopped right before he entered the living room. He could hear a soft voice singing. He stood, his back to the wall, and stared at the clock on the opposite wall, listening to the familiar voice sing the last line of his song. His mother's song. The Windsong.  
  
...Earth in motion, sand and rolling seas. Wind and ocean...fire be lit...in me...  
  
Her voice faded into silence and Tim rounded the corner. Just as he had dreaded, he saw Lee bending over Lizzie's portable cradle as she set his beloved sister down. He cornered her.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he cried at her, even though he knew the answer.  
  
"Hey, Tim, chill out!" She answered coolly. "I'm sitting for your sister." She looked down at the sleeping Lizzie. "She's adorable."  
  
"I know." Tim stepped towards Lee. "That song. Where did you learn it?"  
  
"What song?"  
  
"Windsong. You were singing it a minute ago. Where did you learn it?"  
  
"Oh, that old song..." Lee went vague. "I'm not sure...I've just always known it. I don't know where I first heard it." She stared into space. "I think I first heard it when I was a baby."  
  
"Oh." Tim backed away from her and looked down at the ground, tracing the pattern in the carpet with his eyes.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"My mother used to sing me that song. Before...before I came here."  
  
"Wait." Lee looked confused. "Mrs. Lear isn't your mother?"  
  
"Nope." He met her gaze. "My real mother took off for New York yesterday."  
  
"I'm sorry." She would never get used to his eyes. They were full of sadness and pain and caring. She could get lost in his eyes if she wasn't careful. So this time it was Lee who broke away. "I'm really sorry, Tim."  
  
"No, it's cool." He said. Then, "Oh, let me pay you. You can go, I can watch Liz the rest of the night."  
  
"Oh-no." Lee gathered her purse and headed for the door. "Really, it's on me."  
  
"No-"  
  
"Seriously." She smiled. "Tell your mother-tell Mrs. Lear to call me anytime."  
  
"Well-if you're sure." He walked her to the door and opened it for her. She faced him before leaving.  
  
"You miss her a lot, don't you?" she asked quietly. He nodded and before he knew it he was crying into her shoulder and she was hugging him. And she stood there hugging him in the doorway until the phone rang and he pulled away from her.  
  
"I should answer that," he said, his voice hoarse. She nodded and started to leave, but he called quickly,  
  
"We're going ice-skating tomorrow down in Domino. Would you-do you wanna come?"  
  
Lee nodded again. "That would be great."  
  
"Good. I'll IM you about it."  
  
"Do you have my screen-name?" she asked, practically.  
  
"I can get it from Tina."  
  
"All right. See you then." Lee walked out of the house, and pulled the door shut softly behind her. Sitting in her car before she turned it on, she looked down at her lap and found that there were, for some reason, tears on her own cheeks.  
  
***  
  
A year after leaving Joey at Duelist Kingdom, Mai Valentine sat in her apartment, cradling her two children, her twins, her boy child in one arm, and her girl in the other. She bent over them and sang softly in her pretty voice.  
  
  
  
Earth in motion, sand and rolling seas. Wind and ocean, fire be lit in me. The wind is blowing, harsh and cold and strong. Rain is falling, down to touch the earth in motion, sand and rolling seas. Wind and ocean, fire be lit in me.  
  
***  
  
Moon Shadow: Well? Deliver the judgment. *Winces*  
  
Endless Myth: Calm down. We know they'll hate it so what's the use in hoping?  
  
Moon Shadow: We'll see about that...please R&R!! 


	4. Heartbeat

Moon Shadow: Hey, dudes and dudettes, thanks for all the reviews!  
  
Endless Myth: Oh my god. 'Dudes and dudettes'? Guess you'll always be a Ninja Turtle fan at heart, won't you?  
  
Moon Shadow: You shut up.  
  
Endless Myth: Fine. Okay guys, here's chapter four...I hope you like it!  
  
Moon Shadow: That's 'we'. WE hope you like it.  
  
*** Chapter Four  
  
"No. No! Listen, Ben Caraway, I cannot ice-skate and don't intend to try!"  
  
"Oh, come on! Why'd you come, if not to skate?"  
  
"Because Tim invited me!"  
  
"Yeah. To ice-skate!"  
  
"I can't!"  
  
"Why don't you learn?"  
  
They were standing by the wall of the Downtown Domino Year Long Skate Dream Ice Skating Rink. Lee was clinging to the side of the rink, wobbly and unsure on her skates, with Ben besides her.  
  
"Lee. Let go of the wall."  
  
"Never."  
  
"Oh, lord." the tall senior brushed his wiry red hair out of his face. "Lee..."  
  
"Don't even go there."  
  
"Fine, fine." Ben gave her a remorseful look and skated away gracefully. They were the only people on the rink. Matt and Tim were down at the other end, racing back and forth. Lee slowly let go of the wall, teetering back and forth on her skates.  
  
I wouldn't do this.  
  
But no one ever called Lee Kaiba a wuss.  
  
And no one ever will.  
  
She started moving, gradually picking up speed as she glided along the ice, still close to the wall. She was moving quickly now, though somewhat choppily, and she guessed she had gotten the hang of it.  
  
But then she lost her balance, and the ice was rushing up to meet her face, and-  
  
She felt a strong hand catch her and pull her up. She regained her balance and realized she was looking straight into the light blue eyes of Matt Delacorte. He had caught her by the waist, and was still holding her, pulling her over to the wall.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned. She looked over towards Ben, Tim, and Sara at the other side of the rink. They hadn't noticed her fall, and were still talking and laughing with each other.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, leaning against the wall. "Thanks." He shrugged. "I guess I'm just not to good at ice-skating," she continued, blushing. Now that the shock and fear was gone, she was starting to feel embarrassed that these obviously superb skaters had seen her fault.  
  
"No, no, you're fine," Matt protested, letting go of her waist and backing up. "You just need practice!" He cocked his head. "Here, give me your hands and I'll show you." He grasped her hands and pulled her gently away from the wall, skating backwards across the ice, pulling her along.  
  
Lee bit her lip and squeezed his hands; he smiled. "It's okay, Lee, I've got you." He pulled her around the rink, skating backwards, and she was leaning on him, and her heart was beating almost as fast as his was.  
  
  
  
"Hey Lee."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Does anyone ever call you 'Lea' or something like that?"  
  
"Not really. Why?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know, it's just that 'Lee' seems like more of a guy's name." The five of them were walking through downtown Domino, all of them squashed onto one small part of the sidewalk, side by side.  
  
"It is." Lee said. "It's easier to sneak into Duel Monster's tournaments if I register with a boys name."  
  
"Hang on. How do you not get arrested?"  
  
"People used to think I was a boy."  
  
"What?" Ben has finally tuned into Matt and Lee's conversation. "You have such long hair..."  
  
"It used to be cut short." Lee touched the side of her head and laughed. "My uncle's friend, Tea Gardner, she got cancer a few years back. She lost her hair because of the chemotherapy, so I shaved my head to make her feel better."  
  
"Did it work?"  
  
"I don't know. She was always a pretty cheerful person, so it was hard to tell."  
  
"What happened to her?"  
  
Lee smiled wistfully. "She died. When I was in seventh grade."  
  
"I'm sorry." Matt looked down at her. "Yeah, I'm really sorry."  
  
"It's fine. We've sort of...moved on."  
  
"So, you had short hair?" Ben asked impatiently. "That was all? And you were able to sneak into Duel Monster's tournaments?"  
  
"Yup. And when I stopped, I was used to being called Lee. So I still am."  
  
"Cool." Ben said. Matt dodged in front of Lee, who was walking next to Tim. "You know..." he said, holding up his hands, "With short hair, you must've looked exactly like Tim."  
  
"I actually don't think we look that much alike." Tim put in.  
  
"Nope. Identical. Seriously, you two could pass as twins!" Matt laughed.  
  
"Ha. You're a funny guy, Matt, you know that?"  
  
"Yeah. That's me. A real riot." Matt said happily, dodging the punch that Tim had playfully thrown at him. Tim looked back at Lee.  
  
"I think you owe me a rematch, Lee."  
  
The tone was different, but the words were the same that Dan had used. They sent a shiver up her spine and a wave of fear passed through her mind. But she fought it back.  
  
He doesn't mean it the way Dan did.  
  
He would never be like that.  
  
No, Tim would never do that.  
  
"Fine." She crossed her arms. "You don't ever give up, do you?"  
  
"Not often."  
  
They had reached Joey's house and Lee stopped at the walk, turning to face them. "I'll see you guys around, I guess."  
  
"Yeah. Tomorrow at school."  
  
"Cool."  
  
"Later, Lee."  
  
"Bye." She skipped up the front step and into the house, letting the door swing shut behind her. She walked into the kitchen and found a note on the counter.  
  
Hey girl- (the note read)  
  
I went out to get some food and Yugi's out with Marie; he should be back around two. I don't know when I'll be back, should be a little after then.  
  
Take care of yourself  
  
-Joey  
  
  
  
"Ha." Lee said, and walked through the open door into the living room. She sat down at the table, and felt something rub against her legs. She bent down to pick up the tabby cat and set him on her lap. She took her dueling deck out from her purse and flipped through it.  
  
"De-Spell, Dark Hole, Komori Dragon, Mystical Elf, Skull Dice, Wingweaver..." Lee paused and looked at the card a moment longer. It was her favorite, and one of her strongest, and she studied the fairy for a second before continuing. She had only gotten halfway through her deck when the soft sound of the cat combined with the repetitive murmur of her own voice lulled her to sleep.  
  
Yugi stepped into the house, his keys jingling on their ring. "Lee?" He called. She was obviously here; the kitchen light was on, and her shoes were lying in the front hall. "Lebecca?" Still no answer. He frowned and made his way through the house. When he entered the living room, he saw her sitting on the floor with Gus the cat on her lap. Her head was lying on the table, with her cards strewn around her face. He smiled walked over to her, lifting her up gently and laying her on the couch. Yugi brushed her hair out of her face and walked quietly out of the room, shutting the door so softly that at first, he couldn't tell if it was really closed.  
  
*** " "Gentlemen...we are here to discuss the issue of Mai Valentine." The spokesman, Mr. Oliver Kimble, turned and gestured to the side. "Before we begin, I'd like to take a minute to welcome Mr. Yugi Moto...the world Duel Monster's champion...as I'm sure you all know." A shiver ran through the people sitting at the table as Yugi stood up.  
  
Yami?"   
  
Here.   
  
I can't do this. Can you-   
  
All right.   
  
They switched, and now it was Yami standing at the head of the table. "Thank you, Mr. Kimble...I would just like to say that I would have had nothing to do with this, and I think you're all a bunch of fools." He glanced across at Mai, who was sitting with her head down at the opposite end of the table. "I hope you all know what a foolish thing it is that you intend to do. Thank you." He sat down, and the representatives whispered among themselves.  
  
You're not afraid to speak your mind, are you?   
  
It's our mind. And no, I'm not.   
  
Mr. Kimble stood again. "Uh-thank you, Mr. Moto. He glanced down at the paper sitting in front of him. "Mr. Degan, perhaps you would like to begin."  
  
"Thank you." The new man cleared his throat before saying, "Mr. Kimble, gentlemen. I am the representative from Industrial Illusions, and after hearing about Ms. Valentine's offense, we have voted to-" Mai looked up suddenly and clutched the edge of the table so hard her knuckles turned white. "-We have voted to ban women from dueling until further change." He sat down to applause, and Yami silently shook his head.  
  
  
  
"It's absolutely ridiculous! It was an unfair vote, and furthermore-"  
  
"Mai. Calm down." Yami said exasperatedly. They were in Mai's apartment, after the meeting.  
  
"I will not calm down!"  
  
"You're overreacting-"  
  
"And I am not overreacting!" She yelled.  
  
"Well you should remember that you got yourself into this mess, and there's no need to yell at a well-meaning friend!" he yelled back. They stared at each other, but they were broken off by a baby's cries from another room. Mai backed into a chair.  
  
"That's Lebecca-" She said wearily, and started to get up, but Yami stopped her.  
  
"I'll get her," he said, and Mai didn't argue. When he came back with the two month old baby girl in his arms, Mai reached up to take her. As she rocked her daughter back and forth, Yami sat down across from her.  
  
"Mai..." he said. "You never did tell me the entire story."  
  
Mai looked up sharply, and then softened. "No. I didn't."  
  
"Tell me." He said gently.  
  
Mai gazed at her daughter as Lebecca caught her mother's finger and clasped it tightly. "It's amazing how much she looks like her father," she said, and Yami leaned forward so he could hear the entire thing.  
  
*** Endless Myth: It's amazing how much less time we have since school started up again.  
  
Moon Shadow: Duh. Uh, Stephen? If you're reading this, I DO NOT LOOK LIKE TEA GARDNER!!!!!  
  
Endless Myth: Whoa. Moving on.... we're going to have trouble posting chapter's, due to an unavoidable conflict-  
  
Moon Shadow: * cough * book report you haven't done yet * cough *  
  
Endless Myth: * beating friend over head with frying pan * We probably won't have the next chapter posted for a long time. Sooooo...hope you liked it, and please read and review!!! 


	5. Threats and Tears

Moon Shadow: ...Nothing to say...nothing at all. I am silenced.  
  
Endless Myth: It'll be okay. Really.  
  
Moon Shadow:  
  
Endless Myth: Well...here's chapter five...looks like I'll be doing a lot of typing.  
  
*** Chapter Five  
  
"AND NOW WE WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE WITH GREAT ANTICIPATION, THAT THE DUELIST KINGDOM TOURNAMENT, AFTER BEING CLOSED FOR FIFTEEN YEARS, WILL BE REOPENED. YES, DUEL MONSTER'S FANS, THE TOURNAMENT WILL TAKE THIS PLACE THIS SUMMER AND WILL BE OPEN TO ANY REGISTERED DUELISTS.  
  
AFTER BEING TURNED DOWN BY KAIBA CORPS, MR. HOSHI OF TOKYO, JAPAN, WENT TO INDUSTRIAL ILLUSIONS. THE GRANDSON OF THE LATE MAXIMILLION PEGASUS, PETER PEGASUS, ACCEPTED HIS OFFER AND HAS COMPLETELY RESTORED THE ISLAND-  
  
Seto Kaiba turned off the radio and slammed his desk with his fist. Lee, sitting at the computer, looked up.  
  
"Dad? What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing. What time did you say you had to leave?"  
  
"Um, Sara said she's be here to pick me up around five-"  
  
"Weren't you just with those people yesterday?"  
  
"Yes. But Ben and Sara and Matt have homework that they have to get finished before tomorrow, so Tim and I thought we'd go over and keep them company while they worked."  
  
"Why aren't you in school today, anyway?"  
  
"Teacher workday." she grinned. "Three day weekend."  
  
"Oh. Well, you have five minutes. Do you want me to walk you down?"  
  
"No, I'll be fine." Lee signed off of the computer and started towards the door, but her father's secretary poked her head in the door.  
  
"Excuse me, Mr. Kaiba?"  
  
"Yes?" he answered impatiently. Lee backed away from the door.  
  
"Mr. Hoshi, from Industrial Illusions, is here to see you. Shall I have him come in?"  
  
"Fine." he scowled. "Tell him to make it quick." The secretary nodded and left, and in a moment was replaced by Mr. Hoshi, who was smiling.  
  
"What do you want?" Seto snarled, pulling Lee against him, his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"I needed to speak with you." Mr. Hoshi looked towards Lee. "In private, I thought-Oh, but this must be you young daughter." He extended his hand and Lee coolly shook it. "Amazing how much she looks like her mother," he said, but he was looking at Seto when he did. Lee stared at him.  
  
I don't look anything like my mother, she thought, puzzled.  
  
"Lee," Seto said, "Why don't you go down and wait for Sara?"  
  
"'Kay." Lee said, happy to leave. "It was nice to meet you, Mr. Hoshi." She added at the last minute, and skipped out of the office. She pressed the 'down' button on the elevator and waited impatiently for it to arrive. As she was waiting, Mr. Hoshi came bursting out of her father's office, looked rather ruffled. He stood in front the elevator. When he noticed her he smiled.  
  
"Oh, Lebecca," he said, and moved to stand next to her. Lee smiled shakily and looked impatiently up at the counter on the elevator. 9...10...11...it had to get all the way up to twenty. She gazed out the window at the rain slapping the windowpane, uncomfortably aware of Mr. Hoshi standing right next to her. She jumped when she felt something on her arm, and whirled around to see him grasping her arm in his rough hand.  
  
"Let go of me, please." She said, her eyes flashing dangerously. He smiled and pulled her up to him.  
  
"Lee Kaiba." he growled. "I'll nail you someday for breaking the law, girl."  
  
"Let me go!"  
  
"Just wait-"  
  
"Mr. Hoshi-" a cold voice broke in. Both he and Lee looked back and saw the slim figure of Seto Kaiba in the door of his office. Mr. Hoshi dropped Lee's arm. "-If you lay a hand on my daughter, I swear to god that security will escort you to jail before you can say a word in your defense."  
  
"Well, Mr. Kaiba, you see, maybe you-"  
  
"Leave. Now." he said coldly, and Mr. Hoshi nodded and slunk out of the room, going through the door labeled STEPS. "Lebecca-"  
  
"Dad-I have to go." She flashed him a quick smile and stepped into the elevator, the sliding door soon blocking her father from her view.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Seto, we have to tell her."  
  
"We've been through this, Serenity." he sighed. They were standing in the kitchen of the Kaiba house. "If we tell her now, it will ruin everything we've tried to keep secret for sixteen years."  
  
"You know how I feel about keeping this kind of secret."  
  
"If Lee finds out, she'll run off and do something stupid, you know she will, sweetheart."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I don't want her to get hurt. I...." he looked down at the floor and then up at his wife again. "I feel like she's my daughter. I feel responsible for her. And what Mai would do if I let her daughter be discovered after all this time..." he sank down in a chair. Serenity came over and stood next to him, her hands resting on his shoulders. He reached up and covered her small hand with his own, and closed his tired eyes.  
  
  
  
  
  
"If you were in charge of a country, what would you do first?" Lee asked dreamily from her place on Ben's living room floor. Tim and Matt were playing video games in front of the television, and Ben and Sara were stretched out on the floor with their textbooks besides them, doing calculus homework.  
  
At her question, Ben looked up. "Make skateboarding the national sport," he said immediately, and looked down at his math again.  
  
"Okay. Tim, how about you?"  
  
"I dunno. Um...make it illegal to give homework on the weekends. Matt?"  
  
Matt pressed pause on the video game. "I honestly have no idea." he said, and smiled at Lee.  
  
"You're boring." she laughed.  
  
"Sorry." he turned back to the game.  
  
"What would you do, Lee?" Sara asked without looking up.  
  
"That's easy. I would-"  
  
"Oh, oh, wait!" Tim said sarcastically. "I bet I can guess it! You would make it...legal for girls to duel! Right?"  
  
"Maybe." Lee said, offended. "Or maybe I would just make it illegal for anyone to play."  
  
"Yeah, but then you couldn't either," he pointed out. Then, "Dammit, Matt!"  
  
"Pay attention." Matt said, still absorbed in the game.  
  
"I could play if I wanted to." Lee responded to Tim. "If I was in charge, I could do whatever I wanted."  
  
"But who would you play?" Ben asked. "No offense, Lee, but even you aren't quite good enough to play Duel Monsters by yourself.  
  
"All right, you win." Lee said, and stared out the window again. Tim threw down the controller.  
  
"Matt-"  
  
"That's five bucks right there, man."  
  
Tim sighed and rolled over on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He reached into his backpack, lying on the ground near him, and pulled out his sphere, tossing it up and down to himself. Lee was sitting next to the wall, and Matt had turned off the game and was writing his monologue for English.  
  
"Lee-didn't you have this assignment?"  
  
"Yeah. But I finished it."  
  
"Cool. You want to help me?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh." He tapped his pencil against his paper and looked up again. "Do you have a pen I could borrow?"  
  
"Sure, let me get it." Lee reached behind her for her purse and rummaged through it looking for the pen. "Oh crud-" she had dropped her own sphere in her search, and it rolled across the floor. She reached for it, but as her fingers clasped around it, she slipped on a loose piece of paper and flew up, fumbling for the sphere as she fell. It flew through the air towards the floor.  
  
At the same time, Tim's fingers slipped off the surface of the glass ball, causing his sphere to fall to the ground. The two orbs collided in midair, and everyone in the room flinched, expecting to see the delicate glass shatter on contact. But instead there was just a sickening crunch, and both spheres hit the ground, glowing bright as the sun. Lee looked across at Tim, and he met her eyes; they both reached for one of the spheres.  
  
Ben had jumped up and was peering over Tim's shoulder. In a minute he turned back to Lee.  
  
"What does it say?" he asked quietly. Lee looked down at the sphere cradled in her hands. On one side, a golden eye shone bright. She turned it over in her fingers, studying it intently. On the other side, in the same color as the eye, were the words:  
  
Seeing beyond the shadows is what I do best; What lies in the future is your destiny to see. Gazing past the veil of time to see what lies ahead Using the power you now hold in you hand, You can see through the shadows using innocent eyes.  
  
  
  
"What does it mean?" Matt asked, standing behind Lee. Sara was leaning back on the wall away from the action. "Tim, do you know what yours means?"  
  
"Does your sphere even have anything on it?" Lee put it.  
  
"Yeah. Yeah, it does. It says,  
  
'Reflected in you, reflected in me, Using human eyes to see what should not be seen. The past is mystical and far away, But the power you have within Can know what lies behind the wall of time.'  
  
I have no idea what it means. Unless..." his voice faded and he slipped his hand in to his pocket and he pulled out two worn cards. Without a word he held up the two trap cards for everyone to see. Shadow of Eyes and Mirror Wall.  
  
Lee found her voice. "Tim." she said, her voice calm. "How can the words on these spheres have anything to do with those two cards?"  
  
"Lee, can't you see? They fit! They fit perfectly!"  
  
"No, Tim." She said. She pointed towards the cards. "Read the cards. They have to do with that."  
  
"Lee, listen!" Tim gestured towards her sphere. "Look. See how it refers to shadows? Look at the name of the card. And 'with innocent eyes'?" Tim shook his head. "I'm right. My mother gave me these cards. She used them all the time. And my mother gave me this sphere. I don't know where you got yours, but you have to trust me."  
  
"Well what about the other one?" Lee and Tim were face to face now, with Matt standing near them, Sara and Ben off to the side, neither of them saying anything.  
  
"The other one? Look how easy it is! Reflecting? Mirrors reflect. And the person is supposed to 'tear down the wall'. Mirror Wall? Why can't you see it?" He was practically shouting. "We could-this could give us the answers to everything. I don't know about you, but I think that there's probably some connection to why we look alike and why we both have one of the spheres."  
  
"Tim. There may be, but we don't know anything about this!"  
  
"I guess we've reversed roles now, haven't we?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Before it was me who was reluctant to use the magic. Now it's you."  
  
"I don't have any reason to risk anything for this!"  
  
"What are you risking?" Lee didn't answer him. "Exactly. Lee-" he said, quietly now. He leaned forward towards her. "Lee, I don't know anything about this either. But I've been trying for so long to find out about my past and now you're here and it's unlocked so many new doors-if the magic of the Millennium Spheres can help me find my father, or bring back my mother, then I have to." He stared at her. "And it won't work unless we try together."  
  
Lee looked down at the floor. Then she felt something on her hand, and saw Shadow of Eyes being pushed into her hand. She clasped her fingers around it and looked up at Tim. Then she smiled. "Lets go." She held up the card. "What do we do?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Guys," Matt spoke up. "Guys, don't do this. I couldn't stand it if you...if you were hurt."  
  
"Don't worry, Matt." Sara said. "I think this is-that is, I think this isn't such a bad idea." She looked up at Ben and pressed against him. "Right?"  
  
"I don't know." Ben said hesitantly. "This whole magic thing...Hey Tim, maybe Lee's right. No offense, this whole 'seeing into the past' thing, I don't know, just seems like a lot of bull to me." He wrapped his arm around Sara.  
  
"I'm right." Tim said, exasperatedly. "I know I'm right. But we're never going to find out if we don't do anything."  
  
"You're right about that, at least." Lee said. "Let's get this show on the road. Maybe if we...god, I don't know. I didn't ever learn this is in Home Ec."  
  
"Maybe you should say the poem or something, and hold the cards." Matt suggested. They all stared at him, and he shrugged. "I don't know, it always works in books."  
  
"Well, at least it's a suggestion," Tim said. "Which poem should we say first?"  
  
"Why don't you say yours and I'll say mine? Then if something does happen, we'll be together at least."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"All right." Lee paused. "You know I feel really stupid, right?"  
  
"That makes two of us."  
  
"Good." Lee took a deep breath. "On three, okay? One...two...three..."  
  
'Seeing beyond shadows is what I do best; What lies in the future is your destiny to see. Gazing past the veil of time to see what lies ahead Using the power you now hold in your hand You can see through the shadows using innocent eyes.'  
  
Lee's clear voice chanted the words in perfect harmony with Tim, his voice lower than hers.  
  
  
  
'Reflected in you, reflected in me, Using human eyes to see what should not be seen. The past is mystical and far away, But the power you have within Can know what lies behind the wall of time.'  
  
When they finished, their eyes met and then broke, each staring down at the card in their hand.  
  
The surface of each card, where the picture would normally be had turned dark silver, and it was swirling downwards like a twister, pulling them down. In her card, Lee could see a dark, wispy mist that parted to reveal more words:  
  
Combine the powers and unlock the secrets Open the doors of your mind to me Open wide the gates of time.  
  
And then they were gone.  
  
  
  
  
  
Peter Pegasus, surveying the restoration of the Duelist Kingdom Island from a window, felt a jolt run through his body. He whirled around and was faced with the full-length mirror. He reached out to touch it, then leaned back with a start.  
  
"The twin spheres have been activated," he whispered. "The magic will be destroyed." He turned away from the mirror. "Hoshi!" he barked. "Kaiba, did you talk to him?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"And the girl. You met her?"  
  
"Yes sir." "Hoshi, the girl.... and the boy, her brother...they must both die within the year."  
  
"Sir, I-"  
  
Peter whirled around and faced Hoshi directly. "And Mai Valentine..."  
  
"Yes, sir?"  
  
"Kill her, too."  
  
"And the father..."  
  
Peter smiled, and the Millennium Eye flashed. "No. We'll just let him suffer." And laughed...  
  
***  
  
Mai was sleeping, her hair spread out on the pillow, breathing in and out softly. A breeze blew the window open, and the wind that blew into the room woke her. She opened her eyes sleepily and rolled over, facing the ceiling. She sighed, then rose, and walked quietly into the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of water, and sat at the table to drink it, the cool liquid running down her throat. When she was finished, she set the glass in the sink, and tiptoed through the hall, stopping at the door of the room where her children slept.  
  
She leaned against the doorframe and cocked her head, watching the small figures that were her daughter and son move up and down slowly-  
  
But they weren't moving. Mai stepped closer and peered down into the cradle, just to reassure herself, but when she looked down she had to stifle a scream-her children weren't there. She put a hand on the rim of the cradle to steady herself, took a deep breath, closed her eyes and opened them again. Her face hardened and her eyes flashed dangerously. Mai heard a noise at the window and ran to look out. She saw a shadowy figure climbing down the side of her fifth story apartment. The figure looked up and saw Mai standing at the window. He started and began to climb faster. Mai ran out of the room, and in a flash was dressed. Her deck she slipped into her pocket. Her heart was beating hard, and she was aware of the risk she was taking.  
  
Mai slipped out of the building and started down the deserted street. As she walked cautiously through the city, she thought she could make out a figure lurking in the shadows. As she drew closer, the figure started running, and kept running. Mai broke into a run, too, and she followed him through the city, her heart pounding in her chest, and her muscles aching. She chased him out of the city and to the seashore. He stopped running next to a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean. He turned.  
  
"My, my, Ms. Valentine." He said corrosively, "Come to reclaim your children? They are your only hope of regaining your dignity, aren't they." It wasn't a question.  
  
"Stop playing games, Peter!" Mai gasped, clutching her side. "You know that I didn't free that monster!"  
  
"Stop playing games? Why should I? It's you who have to do that. And you did free that dragon. I set you up, of course, but you just walked into my trap unknowingly, like a fly caught in a spider's web." He laughed at the woman standing in front of him. "And now you're children are in my hands."  
  
"If you hurt them-"  
  
"Then what?" he spat. "What will you do then, Mai?" When she didn't answer, he looked down at the two helpless children lying at his feet, wrapped in a blanket, still asleep. "If your children die tonight.no one will be able to save the world. These children are the only people who can stop me." He narrowed his eyes and the golden eye glowed in his right socket. "These twins.with the power they have.they can alter the past, influence the future. Oh, not for a long while, I should think. Maybe sometime around...oh, age sixteen. But I want to get rid of them as soon as possible." He held up a knife, and the moonlight glanced off the silver blade, sharp as a sword. "Say goodbye to your children, Mai Valentine. Your only hope will be gone."  
  
"Peter, please, I'll do anything," she begged, tears glinting in her eyes, but he had already plunged the blade downwards, and the only sounds were that of Mai screaming, Peter laughing, and a baby crying.  
  
Across the world from that cliff, Joey Wheeler turned over in his sleep.  
  
*** Endless Myth: There! Are you happy?  
  
Moon Shadow: Yeah. Just in a bad mood, I guess.  
  
Endless Myth: Ha! Tell me about it. You just don't want to go to school tomorrow.  
  
Moon Shadow: Tell me about it. Please review, people! Maybe it'll make me feel better.  
  
Endless Myth: Just press the little button and give us thirty seconds of your time.well, maybe forty-five if you want to click on the "favorites" button. 


	6. Shadow Scar

Moon Shadow: Hey, thanks to all our reviewers!  
  
Endless Myth: You have no idea how much your feedback means to us.  
  
Moon Shadow: So thanks to.CrystalLili thanks for sticking with us so far, we know we can be exasperating. Please keep reading!  
  
Endless Myth: Serenia, glad you like the title, hope you're going to continue reading!  
  
Moon Shadow: SweetSweet, so happy you like the story.but.you're gonna have to wait a while for Mai's story.sorry! Don't worry, we'll tell you sooner or later.  
  
Endless Myth: Oh, Stephen thanks for reviewing.you know you spelled "strangle" wrong, don't you?  
  
Moon Shadow: And thanks to everyone else! Hope we don't disappoint you! Here's Chapter Six.Shadow Scar.  
  
Endless Myth: OOOHHH freak-ay!  
  
Moon Shadow: Don't make me use my Tae Kwon Doe skills on you.  
  
*** Chapter Six ***  
  
Lee was surrounded by darkness. She had fallen into the swirling void of darkness, and the shadows had parted to let her through, forming a path of light through the endless sea of night that she now floated through.  
  
Tim opened his eyes and immediately shut them again, blinded by the sudden beam of light that had streamed into his eyes. When he tentatively opened one eye again, he took the time to adjust to the light before looking around him. The light was bright as the sun, bouncing off the very substance of the world he was in. It sparkled light as dazzling as a thousand diamonds. Around his neck, the sphere of the past was burning like fire, hot to the touch.  
  
He looked around in despair for Lee, but she was no where to be found.  
  
Lee, he thought, Oh, Lee, where are you?   
  
Lee tried to stumble through the darkness, but she couldn't find her way. She was completely and utterly alone. She couldn't even find Tim.  
  
Tim. This was all his fault. If he had listened to her, everything would be the way it was before, and she wouldn't be here. She shivered. This was so much like all those times she had been alone and scared, before she had met them, before she had transferred to NHS from her private school. Then, while she was surrounded by her own thoughts, she heard Tim's voice.  
  
Lee? Oh, Lee, where are you? She spun around when she heard him, expecting to see her friend stumbling towards her in his clumsy way, a cocky grin on his face like usual. But when she turned, she saw nothing. Just more of the abyss, going on for as far as she could see. Her fingers were clasped around the sphere of the future, and it was icy cold. She looked down and saw into the swirling mist inside the sphere, and saw.Herself.  
  
She was standing next to Matt on a dock, and he was laughing at something the sphere-Lee had just said. Sphere-Matt grabbed sphere-Lee's hand and twirled her around, spinning her away from him. Lee looked up from the sphere. She would worry about what she saw there later, but first she had to find Tim.  
  
Lee closed her eyes and felt a tear trickle down her cheek.  
  
Tim, she thought in anguish, I've never felt so alone, please come back to me, I need help.   
  
Lee?   
  
Tim? Lee thought in surprise. He was still no where in sight, but she could hear his voice as if he was standing right next to her.  
  
Lee! Oh my god, where are you?   
  
Where are you?   
  
All right, fine. Where are we, then? Tim said inside her head, and she could feel him laughing. A sense of relief flooded through her.  
  
I don't know. And how is it that can hear you? Unless. Lee paused. Unless we're speaking mind to mind.   
  
No. Tim stopped laughing, and Lee had a perfect picture of him in her mind, his face serious, standing alert and tense. No. Lee, there must be an explanation for this.   
  
But Tim, that is an explanation! Lee thought at him excitedly. What if this is what the spheres do?   
  
What are you talking about?   
  
What if the two people with each of the spheres can speak to each other mentally? Lee said. Look. Right now, can you picture me?   
  
He could. The picture of Lee in his head was so clear, so sharp, so perfect, that it was like she was standing in front of him. Her dark eyes were so red that it looked as it she had been crying, but now they were shining with a light so fierce that it made him want to pull back. Because she was so strong, so beautiful, that she was almost glowing.  
  
Yes, Lee, I can, but-   
  
And I see you. I think that we're speaking to each other telepathically. Why don't you believe me? She pleaded.  
  
Tim sighed out loud, and looked down. A movement inside the sphere caught his glance. It showed a tall, fair woman dressed in purple-he took a sharp breath when he recognized his mother-in the arms of a boy who didn't look much older than Tim was now. Tim watched, fascinated, as his mother pulled away from the strange man, and walked away, tears in her eyes.  
  
Tim? Tim, why aren't you answering me? ? Lee's message finally reached him.  
  
Yeah, yeah-I'm here.   
  
Good. You scared me. Lee said hesitantly, and Tim smiled.  
  
  
  
"Well, what the hell happened?" Matt shouted at Ben. "Where are they?"  
  
"Matt!" Ben said, trying to calm his friend down. "Matt, chill. I don't know."  
  
"So what are we gonna do?" Matt yelled, shaking Ben off him. "I mean-we can't just leave them like this!"  
  
"No. But you know just as much as me about this." Ben knelt down and picked up the Mirror Wall card from where it had fallen. The front of the card was still alight. "And I don't know if there's anyone on the planet who would believe-  
  
The shrill ring of the phone cut him off. He sighed, and went to answer it.  
  
"H'lo?"  
  
"Hello, this is Yugi Motou-Lee's friend? Yes, it's time for her to be getting home. Do you think you could tell her from me to get moving?"  
  
Lee. Tim thought shakily, I think we know what the millenium spheres can do.   
  
Oh, do you see images, too?   
  
Yeah-Wait, can you see what I see?   
  
Well, I don't know, what you see, now do I?   
  
Look through my eyes, he answered, and looked down at the sphere. He felt Lee pull back mentally, afraid of going so far into his mind, but he gave her a shove with his mind and she looked out with his eyes at the sphere.  
  
No. We don't see the same thing. She said, withdrawing from his mind. I see me, an-and Matt.  
  
Ah. Matt.   
  
Right, well-   
  
Lee. That woman in the sphere.she's my mother.   
  
Really?   
  
Yes.   
  
She's beautiful. She paused. Why don't you live with her?   
  
She gave me away. Tim said, and Lee could sense the bitterness in his voice. She couldn't support me. And she moved to New York City a few days ago.   
  
Is that why-  
  
Yes.   
  
What about your father?   
  
I doubt he wants me. :  
  
Not the fatherly type?   
  
No. In her mind, Lee could see Tim clench his fists and look sharply away. He's more the leave-and-never-come-back-type.   
  
I'm sorry. Lee thought. She could feel his pain now, worse that any physical pain she had ever felt. Tim, I-   
  
Don't try to say anything. He cried telepathically. Don't even try! People keep telling me that 'they know how I feel' and that 'It'll be okay' but who the hell are they kidding?   
  
Tim.   
  
Just shut up! You don't know what it's like, so don't pretend! He fought to keep from crying.  
  
That's not what I was going to say.   
  
Oh, so what were you going to say? Really, I want to know. Let's see if you can make me more miserable than I already am! It'd be quite an accomplishment, Lee-   
  
Tim, shut up! Lee yelled. Then she softened. Let's get out of here. You said you wanted answers, now I know why, but we're not going to find anything out here. She looked around and shuddered. Even having a friendly voice in her head couldn't completely block out the endless void of shadows that surrounded her.  
  
Lee.  
  
What?   
  
I'm sorry.   
  
I forgive you. Tim.  
  
Here.   
  
I'll help you find her.   
  
No.   
  
Yes. And I'll find your father, too. I promise you, Tim, I'll help you find them both.   
  
I'm not looking for them. Tim responded, sighing. It was useless to try and convince Lee of anything. Let's get out of here, Lee.   
  
Yeah. Let's go.   
  
They waited.  
  
Uh, Lee?   
  
Yes?   
  
You know how to get back, right?   
  
  
  
"So, let me get this straight." Yugi said, standing in front of Ben and Matt in Ben's living room. Sara was lying asleep on the couch, math books forgotten. "Lee and Tim said the-incantation? -And disappeared?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Into the cards." Yugi continued, raising his eyebrows at Ben. He leaned over to take the cards from Matt, running his fingers over the smooth surface of the two cards, one of them shining bright white and the other so dark it was practically casting shadows over the room.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well." Yugi said decidedly. "I'd say that-given the kind of magic that the Millennium items have-that they can't come back-"  
  
"No-"  
  
"-Until they want to." Yugi finished. "But even then they have to know how to use the magic. But that shouldn't be a problem, right?"  
  
Matt and Ben stared at him with faces of stone. On the couch, Sara was waking up and rubbing her eyes.  
  
"They-you're not telling me that they just made it up as they went, are you?"  
  
"Well-" Ben began.  
  
"Sort of-" Matt continued hesitantly.  
  
"Yes." Said Sara, getting up and coming to stand next to Ben. "That's exactly what they did."  
  
"Oh. In that case, I have no idea where they are. And I have no idea how to figure it out." Yugi shook his head. "They could be anywhere. The power of the spheres-No, the power of magic in general, is not supposed to be taken lightly!"  
  
"But what do they do?"  
  
Yugi sighed inwardly. Yami heard him.  
  
Yugi.   
  
No.   
  
Let me take over.   
  
No!   
  
I'm the only one who can explain this to them-   
  
Like you know-   
  
I do-and what's Matt going to say when he finds out about Lee?   
  
What does that have to do with anything?   
  
Just let me do it.   
  
No! There are to many things you won't let me know about what happens when you take over!   
  
Like what?   
  
Like what Mai told you that day-  
  
I can't tell you that, Yugi.   
  
I won't let you take over.   
  
Too bad. Yami forced his way to the surface and Yugi's mind retreated to the puzzle. Yami turned to Matt and Ben. "I can explain." he said. "My name is Yami, and I-"  
  
"Just tell me what happened to Lee!" Matt cried out in frustration. "Tell me, tell us-we won't freak out. But you have to tell me!"  
  
"Tim and Lee are stuck between the past and the future." Yami said somberly.  
  
  
  
Okay. No, really, this is fine. I mean, a little freaky, but I could get used to this.   
  
Well, you don't have to be so sarcastic!   
  
Well I'm sorry, Tim, but it's my nature!   
  
Do you know what our problem is?   
  
Um-I'm not going to answer that question.   
  
We're trying to hard to get back.   
  
So you suggest that we should.what?   
  
I don't know. But it's a start!   
  
Oh god. Lee cut herself off suddenly and started walking through the blackness.  
  
Lee! Where are you going?   
  
To find an apartment! She snapped back. I think we're going to be here a very long time!   
  
  
  
They stared at him. "Beg pardon?" Ben stuttered out eventually. Yami nodded slightly.  
  
"Yes. They are trapped within the time voids."  
  
"And this is a.bad thing.?"  
  
"Oh, not really." Yami said. "If they knew how to get back, I'd say it would be quite an adventure."  
  
"Okay," Matt broke in. "Start at the beginning. I just don't really have a head for this magic stuff."  
  
"All right." Yami said. "The Millennium spheres, when activated, let the two people who have them speak to each other mentally."  
  
"Come again?"  
  
"They two people can talk mind to mind." Ben said to Mat. He turned to Yugi. "Go on."  
  
"Thank you. They also let the two people see the past or the future, depending on which sphere they have. That's when they're alone. But when the two people are together, and both decide to use the spheres, they can go back or forward in time."  
  
"Oh lord."  
  
"Yes. So what I'm guessing is-and I don't know this for sure- I'm guessing that Lee and Tim decided unconsciously to time travel. But since it was an unconscious decision.they're trapped between the times."  
  
"But.what does that have to do with communicating telepathically?"  
  
"Oh, that's a common trait of a Millennium item. The puzzle, for example," he said, gesturing to the golden pyramid on a chain that was around his neck. "This puzzle lets me stay within Yugi Moto and share his body. And we used to have a friend.Ryou Bukura."  
  
Sara looked up sharply at the name. "Who?"  
  
"Ryou Bukura. He too had a Millenium item. But instead of a friendly spirit within him, the Ring housed an evil spirit that could control his body."  
  
Sara narrowed her dark eyes. Ben looked at her. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.  
  
"Oh-yes, I'm fine." She smiled reassuringly, but her gaze remained on Yami, who continued.  
  
"I assume that what the spheres can do, instead of giving the holder a spirit inside them, gives them another person's mind. Of course, they can only read it with the other person's permission, but still.what a power!" He shook his head. "I just hope they can get back."  
  
This was not reassuring. Matt stared miserably at the place Lee had last stood.  
  
Oh Lee, he thought. What's happened to you?  
  
  
  
Lee! If you rush off, we may not be able to communicate. We don't know how long this will last.or what the range is.   
  
Oh come on! If I'm going to be stuck in this place for the rest of my life, can't I at least explore it?   
  
We're going to get back.   
  
Well, if you have any bright ideas, let me know!   
  
Okay. They waited in their separate places for a while. Lee?   
  
'Sup? I've got a bright idea.   
  
Let's hear it.   
  
We've been forcing the magic. What if we just sort of.relax.and reach down, and let ourselves sort of float down and touch it?   
  
Tim?   
  
Yes?   
  
What are you talking about?   
  
Lee, the magic we're trying to use isn't like a spell you cast.   
  
Really?   
  
No. It's inside of us. We have to just not think about it.   
  
Sort of like in Star Wars?   
  
What?   
  
You know, when Yoda says to Luke, "There is no try. Do, or do not."   
  
There was no answer, and Lee thought frantically, Tim? Tim are you there?   
  
Uh, yeah. He responded.  
  
Where were you?   
  
What, you can't hear hysterical laughter telepathically?   
  
Oh, you're funny.   
  
Oh yes. He said, and Lee grinned in spite of herself.  
  
Let's get out of here. She thought softly, and closed her eyes. Tim could see her, her long eyelashes resting gently against her pale cheeks. He closed his eyes too, and for a moment they were no longer two people, but one, and their thoughts and actions were combined, as both of them wished with all their hearts that they could return, that they could go back.  
  
The Millennium spheres glowed bright, and there was a flash of light that Tim could see behind his closed eyes; the light pricked at his eyes, and he flinched, but then it was gone, and he opened his eyes to see the dull blue walls of Ben's living room. He was holding Mirror Wall in his right hand, and he could see Lee, who was standing in front of him, her cheeks flushed pink now, and her eyes bright, holding Shadow of Eyes. He reached out and hugged her, because at that moment she was the only person he wanted to see. He pulled her close and leaned against her shoulder.  
  
Lee resisted slightly at first-she had never been a very 'huggy' person-but then she relaxed and wrapped her arms around his neck. They stood that way for a long time, not caring that Ben and Matt and Sara were watching them, not caring that Yami was smiling his mysterious smile at them. They just held each other, until Lee pulled back and gave him a strange look.  
  
"What?" Tim said, his voice, the voice he hadn't used for what seemed like an eternity. "What's wrong?"  
  
Lee answered in the now familiar way. You have a scar on your neck. she thought.  
  
Really? I didn't know.   
  
You do. It's in the shape of an eye.   
  
An eye?   
  
Yeah, dipwad. She let go of him with one hand and touched one finger gently to the surface of the sphere. The eye glowed brightly. The eye. Like this.   
  
Oh.   
  
"How could you not know?" Lee said out loud. "It's pretty noticeable."  
  
"I don't know," said Tim. Then he finally noticed his friends watching him, and let go of Lee, embarrassed. Lee smiled and walked over to Yami, now Yugi.  
  
"Lets go home, Yugi." She said. He wrapped his arm around her and they walked quietly out of the house.  
  
***  
  
The knife plunged downwards towards the baby, but just as the knife made contact, Mai found her strength and hurled a stone that she had found on the rocky ground towards Peter, and his weapon slipped out of his hand. At the same time, the child, Tim, rolled out of the path of the blade.almost. The knife scraped the back of his neck, leaving a deep cut. Peter was lying on the ground, a bloody wound from Mai's last defense on his head, unconscious. Mai leapt from the ground and ran sobbing towards her children. Holding them close, she shakily regained her breath and ran, clutching her children, back towards the city and her apartment.  
  
Sitting in her apartment with a steaming cup of tea, Mai closed her eyes. She could hear Tea Gardner in the kitchen, humming softly to herself. Mai leaned back in the chair and sighed weakly. Tea heard her and came in, carrying Lebecca in one arm and holding Tim over her other shoulder. Mai opened her eyes and reached out to take Tim from her.  
  
"Mai.I talked to Yami."  
  
"How much did he tell you?"  
  
"All of it."  
  
"Even about Joey?"  
  
Tea blushed. She was young, eighteen, and innocent. "Yes. Especially about Joey."  
  
"Ah." Mai rocked her son back and forth gently. "What should I do?"  
  
"Why are you asking me?"  
  
"Who else can I ask?"  
  
"Well.Listen, Mai, Yami asked me to give this to you. For Tim and Lee."  
  
"What.what are they?" Mai said, shifting Tim to the side to take the two glass orbs from Tea.  
  
"I don't know. He said that they would help your children control their power."  
  
"Oh." Mai set the spheres on the table. "Well, I'll ask him later. But I need to know what to do now!"  
  
"You're not safe here."  
  
"They're not after me, Tea. They're after my children."  
  
"Yes." Tea bit her lip and thrust her finger into Lee's hand, letting the small girl squeeze it. "You should separate them."  
  
"Yes. But where?"  
  
"Well." Tea said, thinking. Then, "Oh! I know!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"If you want one of them to be close to J-to their father, why don't you give one of them to Seto and Serenity?"  
  
"Who?" Mai looked up sharply. "Seto Kaiba? And Serenity Wheeler?"  
  
"Yes, they were just married a few weeks ago."  
  
"Oh, I bet Joey was overjoyed."  
  
"He'll live. But really, why don't you let them raise one of the children? And I have a friend-Cindy Lear-she's always wanted a big family, let them raise the other child."  
  
"Tea, you're a lifesaver."  
  
"Or better yet, Mai, why don't you talk to Joey? And you two could-"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Why? Don't you love-"  
  
"Of course I do!" Mai said miserably. "Of course I still love him. But I can't risk having him hurt!"  
  
"Mai-"  
  
"No, Tea. We can't. The entire family-we have to be split up. That's the only way this'll work." She looked down at Tim, and ran her fingers over the scar on his neck. It was in the shape of an eye-as if foreshadowing her son's fate.  
  
***  
  
Endless Myth: Okay. That's the end.sorry if we confused you.  
  
Moon Shadow: She means, it's the end of the chapter,  
  
Endless Myth: They know what I meant.  
  
Moon Shadow: Well you scared me.please review, people! And look for the next part sometime soon.  
  
Endless Myth: I'm gonna say it again. PLEASE review! 


	7. Rejection

Moon Shadow: Endless Myth is in France. Yup. She just took off and went to France during sixth bell. But whatever. I'm just as good a writer without her.Ha. Endless Myth, COME BACK! I have no one else to talk to! Well, guys, don't worry, I brought in a special guest writer. Let's give a hand for.SUN STAR!  
  
Sun Star: I have no idea what's going on.  
  
Moon Shadow: No no no, you're just supposed to sit here and watch me type.  
  
Sun Star: Would it help if I knew what Yu-Gi-Oh is?  
  
Moon Shadow: I doubt it.  
  
Sun Star: Can I read a book?  
  
"He was a Sk8er boi, she said see ya later boi, he wasn't good enough for her. She had a pretty face, but her head was up in space, she needed to come back down to earth."  
  
-Sk8er Boi, Avril Lavigne  
  
*** Chapter Seven ***  
  
Joey walked into the apartment, nearly tripping over Yugi's cat, cursing at it under his breath. He slammed the door and stalked over to the phone out of habit, listening to the messages.  
  
*Beep* Hey Wheeler, it's Tristan, sorry I can't make it to visit you guys this summer-  
  
*Beep* Hi, Yugi, this is Marie. Call me, okay? I just wanted to talk to you and-  
  
*Beep* Yo, Joey, Yug- It's Lee-I'm not coming today, okay? I'm going downtown with Matt and them in Sara's van-  
  
*Beep * Joseph? This is you mother. You've been avoiding me, Joseph-your sister says you haven't contacted her in weeks, but you're spending an unhealthy amount of time with Lebecca, and I just wanted to make sure that-  
  
Joey pressed the delete button and picked up the phone, dialing his mother's number, groaning.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Ma."  
  
"Joseph? Is that you?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Where have you been, you haven't spoken to me in weeks, dear!"  
  
"I've been busy, Ma."  
  
"Oh, you-How's Yugi?"  
  
"He's fine."  
  
"Is he still seeing, um, I can't think of her name-"  
  
"Marie? Yeah." "Oh really? It's been a long time."  
  
"Yeah, two years."  
  
"My. And how are you, dear? Are you seeing anyone?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Joseph-"  
  
"I date, Ma."  
  
"You should." His mother paused. "Oh, I was talking to your sister the other day."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yes. She said that Lebecca is spending a lot of time with you. And when I talked to Lee, all she would talk about was some boy-Mark, or Melvin- something like that."  
  
"His name is Matt, Ma."  
  
"Yes, Matt-she certainly talks about him a lot. Do you know about that?"  
  
"They're just friends, Ma."  
  
"Well, I just-" In the distance, Joey could hear the kitchen timer on his mother's side of the phone start to ring. "-Oh, Joseph, I have to get that. I'll talk to you some other time, all right, dear?"  
  
"Fine, Ma."  
  
"Bye, dear."  
  
"Take care, Ma." He hung up. He rested his forehead on the wall and closed his eyes.  
  
"You lie, Joey." It was Yugi.  
  
"Huh?" Joey said, facing his friend. "Come again?"  
  
"We both know you haven't had a date in about four years."  
  
"Yeah, well, I can't tell her that."  
  
"Ha."  
  
"Hey, I'm still waiting for someone, Yug."  
  
"She's not coming back, Joey."  
  
"Never know."  
  
"No. She's not coming back."  
  
"Maybe she will." Joey sighed and leaned against the counter, reaching for the newspaper.  
  
Yami?   
  
Yes?   
  
He's never going to give up on her.   
  
He has to, Yugi.   
  
You know where she is.   
  
Yes.   
  
Why can't you tell him?   
  
You know I can't tell you that.   
  
He-he loves her, Yami.   
  
I can tell.   
  
So screw all these precautions! Just tell him where Mai is.   
  
I can't. Yami answered, and hid himself behind a mental wall of solitude inside his puzzle.  
  
  
  
Matt, Ben and Tim were sitting on the low stone side of the fountain in the middle of the park. The sun was shining high in the sky. It was a Friday afternoon, there were two more weeks of school and the national Duel Monster's competition was over and done with for the year, Ben still holding his title.  
  
"Hey Ben."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You going to the Duelist Kingdom when it reopens?"  
  
"No."  
  
"You got an invitation, didn't you?"  
  
"Yes. I ripped it up and fed it to the dog."  
  
"Seriously?"  
  
"No. But that's what I would've done. But my dad brought in the mail that day, and he thinks it's a 'wonderful opportunity' for me." Ben glanced at Tim out of the corner of his eye. "He also said that it'll be good to get away from you guys for the summer."  
  
"Jesus. What is this, summer camp? He'll probably be disappointed to know that I got invited, too."  
  
"Lord, it'll break his heart. Are you going?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Don't." Matt spoke up. "If you go, then Ben will go, and Sara will go to be with Ben, and Lee will find some way to sneak in-you know she will-and then I'll be the only one left, and what am I supposed to do all summer?"  
  
"You could go to be with Lee, if she does find a way to get in." Tim said, elbowing Matt in the stomach. Matt shoved him back and shook his head.  
  
"Nope. The only problem I have with the Duelist Kingdom is that it involves, like, playing the actual game. Which I really wouldn't be opposed to if it didn't confuse the hell out of me."  
  
"A little bitter, are we, Matt?"  
  
"Shut up, Lear. Speaking of Lee, where is she? I thought she was coming here right after school."  
  
"She was. Oh, wait, she said she had to talk to someone or something beforehand. I dunno, I really wasn't paying attention."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
There was silence as the three boys sat and waited for Lee. Finally Tim blinked and stood up, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "Lets go."  
  
"Where are we going?" Ben asked sensibly, as Matt shoved his history book into his backpack. "I thought we were waiting for Sara and Lee."  
  
"We were. But they're waiting at the street corner for us in Sara's car."  
  
"How did you-oh." They started walking down to the corner. It was two months since Lee and Tim had started talking mind to mind, but even though they were used to it now, Ben and Matt were still having some trouble adjusting to it. Sara took it in stride, though.  
  
The three friends piled into the car, Lee slid over and Sara turned up the radio. They drove off down the road towards the bay. Pulling off onto a hidden road, they drove down a bumpy road and finally got out of the car at a rickety wooden dock with muddy water lapping at its sides. Lee hopped out of the car and stretched out, her arms above her head. She turned to Ben.  
  
"Hey Ben-duel me?"  
  
"Oh c'mon-" he protested.  
  
"You have to get some practice in, dude-else you'll get to nationals this summer and totally have lost your touch."  
  
"I wish!" he said, put pulled his deck out and began to shuffle. Lee sat down cross-legged on the dock and set her deck down besides her. Tim sat down next to her, and Matt lay on his back, staring at the sky. Sara sat with her legs dangling, her toes just barely brushing the edge of the water.  
  
"Let's go." Ben said, and drew five cards. "You go first."  
  
"Cool." Lee studied her cards. "Ok, I got it-I'll play Dark Witch in attack mode, with Horn of Light-2500 attack. And this face down."  
  
Ben ran the hand that wasn't holding the cards through his hair. "I play a card face down and one monster in face down in defense mode."  
  
Lee stuck out her tongue at him. " You're boring."  
  
"Okay. Your move."  
  
"Thank you. WingWeaver, in attack mode, equipped with the Malevolent Nuzzler. And This," she said, holding up a card. "Shadow of Eyes."  
  
Ben rolled his eyes and flipped his face down monster up. "I'm screwed." He said. "Labyrinth Wall. An attack of zip."  
  
"Yeah." Lee said. "So I'll attack it with WingWeaver-attack 3450 because of Malevolent Nuzzler-and do that much damage. But don't calculate your loss yet," She said. "Because I'll also attack your life points with the Dark Witch."  
  
Matt looked up, then back up at the sky. "That doesn't sound to good."  
  
"It's not." Ben said.  
  
"Oh. Hey, maybe I have a natural talent for this."  
  
"You can have mine." Ben said. "I activate Waboku."  
  
"So you've got one turn. Don't waste it."  
  
"I'll switch Labyrinth Wall back to defense mode and summon the Red-Eyes Black Dragon, and play Eternal Rest."  
  
"What does that do?"  
  
"Destroys all monsters with equip cards. That would be both of your cards. Kiss them good-bye."  
  
"Not this time. I'll activate Mystical Space Typhoon and save my monsters."  
  
"Good. I'll just play Raigeki and destroy them all anyway."  
  
"I hate you."  
  
"I know. And now I'll attack your life points directly. Can we stop now?"  
  
"Wimp."  
  
"I'm just bored!"  
  
"You give up to easily, Caraway."  
  
"Not when he's playing me." Tim spoke up. "When he's playing me, he's ruthless."  
  
"Yeah, but that's because the games don't last long enough for me to get to bored." Ben yawned, and changed the subject. "Do you guys wanna come over or something tonight? My dad's not here-he went on a business trip."  
  
"Um, I can't." Lee said quietly, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Sorry."  
  
"Why? What's up?" Tim said questioningly.  
  
"I sort of have a date."  
  
Matt sat up. Sara turned around, and Ben looked up at Lee. Tim raised his eyebrow.  
  
"Oh? Do tell."  
  
"What's to tell?" Lee asked uncomfortably, snapping the clasp on her purse shut.  
  
"There's a lot to tell. Like, who, for example."  
  
"Oh, that." Lee glanced over at Matt. He was sitting quietly, staring at the ground, listening intently to everything she was saying. "Dan Macio."  
  
Matt looked up and stared at her. She didn't look like she was joking, but with Lee you could never tell.  
  
"What?" Tim said, coughing. "Could you repeat that? I'm not sure I caught that the first time.  
  
"Dan. He goes to NHS. He's a senior, I think. Isn't he, Ben?" Lee asked. Ben nodded. "He's a senior, alright. But why are you dating Dan Macio? Isn't he like, the world's biggest jerk?"  
  
"Yeah." Tim put in. "He is. He's also the guy who was beating the crap out of her earlier this year. Remember?" he asked, glaring at Lee. Ben tapped him on the shoulder and nodded towards Matt, who was staring at the apparently fascinating patch of air above Lee's head.  
  
"I remember." Lee said. "But we had lunch together today and he apologized and said he would make it up to me by taking me out to dinner tonight."  
  
"Oh." Tim said. There was an awkward silence. Then. "So how did this come about?"  
  
"You know what?" Lee said, "I just remembered this gargantuan Math assignment that I need to get finished. I had better go work on, it okay?"  
  
Everyone stared at her. Then Tim said, "Yeah, why don't you do that. Come on, I'll drive you home." He took hold of her arm and pulled her away from the dock, leaving everyone staring after them. When they were out of hearing distance of the dock, Lee jerked away from Tim and faced him.  
  
"That was subtle," she hissed. "We all came in Sara's car."  
  
"Which is how you were going to leave to finish your 'math assignment', right?"  
  
"What are you saying?"  
  
"Lee-it's a Friday afternoon in the last two weeks of school. You don't have any math to do!"  
  
"You don't know that."  
  
"I'm in your math class!"  
  
"What do you want, Tim?"  
  
"I want to know what you're doing!"  
  
"How is it your business?"  
  
"Lee, for the last two months you've gone out of your way to avoid Dan Macio! Now you're dating him. What's wrong with this picture?"  
  
"So? What's your point?"  
  
Tim stared hard at her. Then he closed his eyes and sent his mind out to hers, entering her mind. But before he could get far, he hit a mental wall and was flung back. He pushed forward, and he could sense Lee struggling to keep him out. They stood there, staring into the other's eyes, each trying to outdo the other. Then Lee gave one huge shove and closed off her mind.  
  
"Don't you dare try to read my mind, Tim Lear!"  
  
"Oh, so now you're blocking me out?"  
  
"Yeah, I am! We agreed that we wouldn't do that-try to force our way in. We agreed on that two months ago!"  
  
"What are you hiding?"  
  
"Stay out of my mind." She whispered. He put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"You can't hide, Lee."  
  
"I'm not hiding anything!"  
  
"What about Matt?"  
  
"What about him?"  
  
"You know he likes you."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And I know that you like him."  
  
"You don't know anything." She spat. "Maybe he's not good enough for me." She finished loftily.  
  
He gaped at her. Then, before she could move, he slapped her hard across the face. "What the hell is your problem?" he hissed at her, his eyes flashing.  
  
"I don't have a problem!" She answered. "Maybe you should just stay out of my head!"  
  
They stared at each other. Then they heard a person approaching them, and turned to see Matt standing there questioningly. "What's going on?" He asked. " Lee-I thought you were going home."  
  
"I was. But I decided-"  
  
"Yeah, she is." Tim cut in. "Hey Lee, why don't you call Dan-Maybe he could give you a ride."  
  
"Maybe I will." She said, glaring at him. "  
  
"Matt-let's go." Tim said, and started to walk away, but Matt stayed behind to wait for Lee.  
  
"I just brought it up because we're all leaving-it's starting to rain." Matt said softly. It was-the sky was darkening and the drops were starting to fall. It was long, quiet drive home. Tim and Lee weren't speaking, and wouldn't even look at each other. Sara dropped Lee off, then Tim, and only then did Matt say anything.  
  
"I can't believe it." He said. Ben turned around.  
  
"Hey man, don't beat yourself up. It's not your fault that Lee has bad judgement."  
  
"No." Sara said. "Listen to him, Matt. He's right, you know. Lee may have made a stupid choice, but it's not like anyone can stop her."  
  
"I could've. I could've if I'd tried."  
  
"Matt-"  
  
"She's going to get hurt! You know she is! Dan-he's-Lee- God, I can't believe I didn't say anything to her!" They pulled up in front of his house, and he opened the door to get out. "And-never mind. Bye." He ran towards the door, dodging between raindrops.  
  
Ben turned to Sara and sighed. "He's right, you know."  
  
"I know."  
  
"I want to know what Lee thinks she's doing with Dan. Matt should have said something to her. She listens to him."  
  
"She usually listens to Tim," Sara said, pulling off Matt's street. "I don't know why she's acting like this."  
  
"She's going to get hurt." Ben said, shaking his head. "You know Maddie Lear? She was dating Dan for a while."  
  
"I didn't know that." Sara said, spinning the steering wheel. "Seriously?"  
  
"Yeah. Tim was so mad at him. Dan's a nice enough guy until he gets drunk. But Maddie dumped him after a week, and Dan and Tim have been enemies ever since."  
  
"I had never heard that."  
  
"Yeah, well." Ben leaned his head on the window and sighed again when Sara stopped in front of his house. "Look who's home." He said, gesturing at his father's truck in the driveway.  
  
"I thought you said he wasn't going to be home."  
  
"I did. I guess I was wrong,"  
  
"Do you wanna come over for a while?"  
  
"No, it's fine." Ben kissed her on the cheek and got out of the car, waving at her before going into his house. Sara smiled, but the smile faded as she drove down the slippery wet road.  
  
"And god forbid that Lebecca should get hurt." She muttered sarcastically. She pulled her cell phone out of her purse and dialed the familiar number.  
  
"Sara, you idiot! Get me Mr. Pegasus!" she said when the person picked up. "Peter? Yes. Dan's doing his part. I know. Okay. I'll be right over. Yes. No. Oh, okay. Bye." She hung up and sped away down the road.  
  
Lee picked up the phone and dialed Tim's number with trembling fingers. She got the answering machine.  
  
*Beep* You've reached the Lear household-If you'd like to leave a message for (deep breath) Ryan, Cindy, Maddie, Jon, Tim, Christa, Jack, Hope, or for some bizarre reason, Lizzie-Beth, then please do so at the tone. We'll call you back as soon as the phone is not in use by one of the said people. Thank you! *Beep*  
  
"Tim, this is Lee. If you're there, please pick up." She waited, but no one answered. "I'm going to assume that you don't want to talk to me. Tim, I really need to talk to you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it! Please call me." She hung up and buried her head in her arms on her desk, her body shaking with sobs.  
  
Tim sat listening to Lee leave her message and didn't pick up the phone. He could hear her voice choked with tears, but he walked away, trying to ignore the emotions inside his head that he knew weren't his.  
  
  
  
Joey Wheeler cradled his one-year old niece in his arms. His friend Yugi Motou leaned over his shoulder to see her.  
  
"She's wonderful, Joey. She's going to be beautiful when she's older."  
  
"Hey, she's pretty cute already!" Joey held her up. "Hey Tristan! Get a load of this! I'm an uncle."  
  
"Tha's great, Joey." Tristan said, coming over and taking Lebecca away from Joey. "Funny though. She doesn't look a thing like Serenity."  
  
"Nope." Joey said cheerfully.  
  
"She actually looks more like you."  
  
"That had better be a compliment, Tris."  
  
"Eh. She's cute, though."  
  
"I'll say." Joey responded, reaching over to take her back. "Lee-Ah, no." The baby had plucked a Duel Monsters card off the table and was studying it intently. "Lea, sweet, put it down." The girl looked at the card a moment longer before waving it above her head and throwing it across the room.  
  
"Eee!" she cried happily, and threw her arms around his neck. " 'Oey!" She proclaimed. Joey looked over at Yugi. "Whataya say, Yug? She got potential as a duelist?"  
  
"Oh, definitely." Yugi, said, grinning. Then his smile faded. "But she's a girl, Joey."  
  
"Oh yeah, forgot about that for a while." He looked down and then up again. "Old Mai's getting into trouble again." He managed a weak smile.  
  
"Get over it, Wheeler," Tristan said, slapping his friend on the back.  
  
"Hey, I ain't got anything to get over!" Joey said defensively. "That was along time ago!"  
  
"Sure. Hey, I gotta go. I'll catch you guys later, okay?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Bye, Tris."  
  
"And I'll definitely see you soon." Tristan said to the baby, letting her hold onto his finger for a second. "You don't let Joey be mean to you, you hear?"  
  
"Eee!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Moon Shadow: Hmmm. Tired. But today is a SNOW DAY! YES! No school for me, hee hee hee!  
  
Sun Star: Me neither. Get over it.  
  
Moon Shadow: People, please review!  
  
Sun Star: I am so confused. I think I'll go hide underneath my bed now.  
  
Moon Shadow: *Holding Sun Star back* Hopefully Endless Myth will be back by chapter eight. But you never know. Maybe she'll just stay in France forever. *Flinches* And then Sunni will be my co-author for the rest of this story. *Glances at Sun Star* Not that that's a BAD thing.  
  
Sun Star: That had better be a compliment, Lil' Shadow. 


	8. Broken Link

Endless Myth: *Sadly* Well, I'm back from France.  
  
Moon Shadow: *Rolling eyes* Don't sound so excited.  
  
Endless Myth: We were going to have a party and stay up all night to celebrate my return, but we decided to write this chapter instead.  
  
Moon Shadow: She's just bitter because she missed Yu-Gi-Oh on Saturday ^_^  
  
Endless Myth: I am not!  
  
Moon Shadow: Su-re you're not. Hey, people, we're really happy that you've reviewed so much! But you know there's no such thing as to many reviews, so.review this chapter too!  
  
Endless Myth: We realize we've been forgetting the disclaimer, so here it is: We don't own YGO. And you know those chapters we forgot to put the disclaimer in? Well, we didn't own YGO in those chapters, either.  
  
Moon Shadow: -_- unfortunately.  
*** Chapter Eight ***  
  
"Have you seen Tim?" Lee asked Matt, as they walked down the crowded halls of their school.  
  
"Not since Friday."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"You two still not speaking to each other?"  
  
"I called him, like, five times last weekend. He wouldn't talk to me."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Well, it's not my fault he's so damn stubborn. That's supposed to be me. Not him."  
  
"Hey Matt! Lee!" They turned and saw Ben coming towards them. "Hey guys."  
  
"Hey Ben." "Hey dude."  
  
"Lee- you talked to Tim yet?"  
  
"Well, I would, if I could find him!" she cried out in frustration.  
  
"Is he missing?"  
  
"Have you seen him?"  
  
"Yeah." Ben gestured behind them. "He was just coming out of English."  
  
Lee turned around. "I have to talk to him." She said, and started back.  
  
"I wouldn't bother." Ben said, and pulled her back. "Mr. Croquet wanted to talk to him."  
  
"Who's that?"  
  
"Oh, you haven't met him yet?"  
  
"No."  
  
"A new English teacher. He's pretty cool."  
  
"What'd he want to talk to Tim about?" Matt asked.  
  
"I think he's trying to get him to enter something in the Creative Writing thing this weekend."  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, I'll talk to him later, then." They walked along in silence. Then Ben said, "See ya." And took the back stairs to a different section of the school. Matt and Lee continued down the hall to history.  
  
Matt turned to Lee. "How was your date?" he asked jokingly.  
  
"Hmm? Oh. That. It was okay, I guess."  
  
"Cool." He said, and smiled at her. Lee's heart leapt five feet in the air and she smiled back. They reached the History class, and Matt held the door open for her. Lee went in and sat next to her friend Tina. Tina leaned over and whispered to Lee, "He's really cute."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Matt Delaquarte." Tina giggled. "He likes you."  
  
"Please. We're just friends." Lee said. She took her notes out of her binder and shoved her binder into her desk. She bent over her notes, but she was thinking about something else entirely.  
"Well, Tim, you're probably wondering why I asked you to stay late." the teacher asked.  
  
"Yes sir." Tim said, and glanced towards the clock.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll write you a pass."  
  
"Oh. Thank you." He responded politely.  
  
"The reason I asked you to stay.you're an excellent writer, Tim. You have real talent."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"You have other interests, though, I assume." Mr. Croquet paused. "I'm told that you duel. Is that correct?"  
  
"Yeah." Tim said. "I'm not to good at it, though." He added.  
  
"Well I'm sure that's not true. You're good friends with Ben Caraway, yes?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And Lebecca Kaiba?"  
  
Tim hesitated. They were friends, yeah, but they hadn't spoken all weekend.he had never returned her calls. He resolved to talk to her. "Yeah, I know her too."  
  
"How well do you know her?"  
  
"Pretty well, I guess."  
  
"Well isn't that nice." He said.  
  
Tim nodded.  
  
"That's just great," Mr. Croquet continued. "And, how long ago did you find out about the Millenium spheres?" "About two months-" And then Tim realized he had made a terrible mistake. He backed away and ran into the door. "How do you know about that?" he asked, his voice shaking. He felt behind him for the doorknob, but it was locked, and the teacher had the key.  
  
"Oh, I have my sources." Croquet said, leering down at Tim. "Give it to me." He snarled. "Give me the sphere!"  
  
Tim's hand went to his throat, and he clutched the sphere to him.  
  
Lee! He cried out. Lee, help-  
  
But that was as far as he got, because Croquet ripped the sphere off his neck, and Tim, now used to having two minds in his head, was overcome by the stress of being alone in his mind. He couldn't sense her, couldn't feel her, he didn't know where she was, and he didn't know what she was thinking. He couldn't tell her anything, because she wasn't there. The world was spinning, and Croquet was laughing, and if he could've seen it, the scar on his neck was glowing brightly and his eyes could only see white. He fell to the ground, feeling utterly alone, and then the brightness in his eyes faded to darkness. It was more than he could take, and the world went black as he lost consciousness and his mind went tumbling through oblivion.  
  
Sitting in history class, Lee's concentration was cut off by the sharp plea in her head.  
  
Lee! Lee, help- the message was cut off, and Lee sat up sharply. Then her mind was filled with a searing pain, and she could hardly keep track of her thoughts. She raised a shaking hand.  
  
"The main causes of the war were-Yes, Ms. Kaiba?"  
  
"May-may I get some water, please?"  
  
"Very well." The teacher pursed her lips. "Take the pass. As I was saying, the war was caused by..."  
  
Lee didn't wait to hear the rest. She ran out of the room, clutching the hall pass. She ran into the nearest bathroom and faced herself in the mirror. She turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on her face. Then she placed one finger on her sphere and watched the golden eye appear. She closed her eyes.  
  
Tim? Tim, are you okay? She thought, but the thoughts just echoed in her own head. She frowned and reached out with her mind, but she couldn't find him. He wasn't there. She slumped against the sink. Then she heard the bathroom door open and heard Tina calling her.  
  
"Lee? Mrs. Claudio asked me to come make sure you're okay."  
  
"I'm fine, Tina."  
  
"Are you sure?" Tina stepped a little closer. "Do you need to go to the nurse?"  
  
"NO. Let's go back to class." Lee said, and linked arms with Tina. She acted cheerful, but she felt a veil of fear settle over her heart.  
"So, you have no idea what happened to him?" Ben asked her as they walked out of the school building.  
  
"None. He's just.not there anymore."  
  
"Well, that doesn't mean something bad happened to him." Matt put in sensibly, walking on Lee's other side. "He could've just taken the sphere off, or something. You don't need to be so worried, Lee. We'll just go find him."  
  
Lee nodded, but looked at the ground, thinking about the last desperate message that Tim had sent her. Matt saw her face. "What?"  
  
Lee stared up at him miserably. "He was trying to tell me something. He was asking me for help."  
  
"You didn't tell us that." Ben said, startled. "He was talking to you?"  
  
"I could only catch a little bit, and he was gone before I could respond. And now I can't sense him. I mean, I can't tell where he is. I can't see him." She added when she saw their faces. "So I'm going to go home and use Shadow of Eyes to find him."  
  
"I thought both of you had to be there for that to work."  
  
"No." Lee shook her head. "If we want to go to another time we have to both be there. But by myself I can see the past of future."  
  
"Cool."  
  
"Why don't you come too-It'll be easier."  
  
"Okay. I can come-Matt, what about you?"  
  
"Yeah. But don't jump to conclusions, okay, Lee?" He reached down and squeezed her hand. "Maybe nothing bad happened to him."  
  
"Maybe." Ben said. "But there's no reason you shouldn't be scared, Lee. It's alright to be scared."  
  
"Thanks." She whispered. "Oh, there's Dan. I'll see you guys later." And she walked off towards Dan, who wrapped his arm around her and walked her off in the opposite direction.  
  
"I really hate that guy." muttered Matt.  
Tim woke up stiff and cold in the corner of an empty room. He looked around and shivered, pulling his knees up to his chest. The movement sent a sharp, searing pain through his head, and he winced. What had happened? Tim tried to think back, but his thoughts were disorganized-he couldn't keep anything straight. He could sort of remember sending out a message to Lee-  
  
Ah.  
  
He reached up, not expecting to feel the Millenium sphere around his neck, not surprised when it wasn't. He closed his eyes and sighed, then opened them again. He had to find it. He had to find the sphere and contact Lee. But he didn't know where he was.  
  
The door to the dark room he was in opened, and a beam of light shot through the shadows. A figure appeared in the door.  
  
"Get up, boy!"  
  
Tim staggered to his feet, using the wall to support himself.  
  
"Quickly! Come here."  
  
He crossed the room and stood by the man, who pushed him out the door and down the hall of the building, his hands on Tim's shoulders.  
  
Tim looked around the building in awe. It was huge. The floors were stone, like the walls, and the ceilings were high. "What is this place?" he asked the man. "Where are we?"  
  
The man stopped walking. "You're Tim Wheeler?"  
  
"Uh-no." Wheeler? That was new. "Tim Lear." They started walking again.  
  
"Well, Tim Lear, welcome to the Duelist Kingdom." They passed a window, and Tim gasped. They were on top of a mountain, and the ocean was below them, above them only sky. There were forests, and down by the sea were sandy beaches. But there were also snow-covered mountains and he could see deserts. "How big is this island?"  
  
"Big. I don't know for sure."  
  
"Tight." Tim said. And then, since the man seemed friendly, he asked, "How did I get here?"  
  
"By airplane."  
  
"Oh, right." Tim said. Then he hesitantly asked, "Why did they bring me here?"  
  
"You are a prisoner." The man said, glancing at him.  
  
"Oh." Tim said. And for lack of anything better to say, "Cool."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Whose prisoner am I?"  
  
"You'll find out." He said, and pushed Tim through a door. "Mr. Pegasus," he called. "I have brought the boy."  
  
"Bring him here," said a voice, and Tim turned to see a man standing by a window. He didn't need to look twice to see the fake gold eye he was wearing instead of a real right eye-or to see the glass globe hanging off his neck.  
  
The guard who had brought him shoved Tim forward, then bent down and whispered in his ear, "Be careful, Tim Lear. The world, as well as your life, depend on what you say to him today." Then he bowed to the man with the golden eye and walked away.  
  
The man with the gold eye turned to Tim and held out his hand to shake. Tim stood rigid and nodded to him. The man smiled.  
  
"Hello, Tim."  
  
"'Sup." Tim said.  
  
His smile grew wider. "Do you know who I am, Tim?"  
  
"I'd say that you're Peter Pegasus."  
  
"Smart boy. Yes, that's me. Do you know why you're here?"  
  
"Can't say I do."  
  
"You're my prisoner."  
  
"You don't say. Oh, wait." Tim answered, "That's why you had me abducted and brought to a remote island in the middle of nowhere! Hey, it makes sense now!" He was still staring at the sphere -the sphere that belonged to him- around Peter's neck.  
  
"Watch your mouth. Do you like to play games, Tim?"  
  
"Depends on who's asking." Tim answered coolly.  
  
"If I'm asking."  
  
"Depends on what game."  
  
"Try not be stupid. I assume you received my invitation to the tournament. It starts in two weeks, you know."  
  
"Yeah, it does."  
  
"Were you planning on attending?"  
  
"I wasn't sure yet."  
  
"You're not going to."  
  
"Aw." Tim said. "Damn! I thought maybe you would've given me leave or something."  
  
"Ah." Peter said. "Tim, tell me something."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Do you recognize this?" Peter asked, taking the sphere off his neck. "I believe it used to belong to you."  
  
"Used to?" Tim spat out. "I don't remember giving it to you."  
  
"Temper, temper. You can have it back, if you like." Peer tossed it to him. "Rather laughable, isn't it. I went through all that trouble to get it, and, as it turns out, it's useless without the other one."  
  
"So why don't you take Lee's sphere too?" Tim asked. "Like you would know what to do with them!"  
  
"Oh, I imagine I could figure it out." Peter said.  
  
"You could never figure it out!" Tim cried. "Never in a million years!"  
  
"But, Tim," Peter said. "What would stop me from reading your mind?"  
  
"What-" Tim started to ask, but then he could feel Peter inside his head, and he had to concentrate on blocking him out. He built a mental wall to hide behind, and the two stood there for a minute, each trying to beat out the other. To Tim it was so like when Lee was trying to keep him out of her head that it was hard to concentrate. Finally, though, Peter gave way, and withdrew.  
  
"You are much stronger than I thought," he hissed. "Much, much stronger. Clark!" He called, and the guard reappeared. "Take this boy back to his room."  
  
"Sir." Clark said, and pulled Tim out of the room. Neither of them said anything, and when Clark shoved him back into the dark room, Tim could only think about one thing. He still had the sphere. Peter had never taken it away. Tim sat down on the ground and concentrated on Lee.  
  
Lee, he thought to her with all his mind and all his heart and all his soul, Lee, you have to be careful!   
  
He woke up a few hours later to the sound of the door creaking open. He wearily opened his eyes and saw Clark forcing another person in to the room. He slammed the door, leaving a lit candle with the new person. Tim shrank back into the shadows, but the person crawled up to him, holding up the candle.  
  
"Tim?" The girl breathed. He looked up at her voice.  
  
"Lee?" he asked, daring to hope, "Is it you?"  
  
The girl wrapped her arms around him. "No, sweetie." Her voice was familiar, but as much as it sounded like Lee, it wasn't. He could see her face now, and Tim leaned down onto his mother's shoulder.  
  
"I've missed you." Mai Valentine whispered into her son's ear. "I missed you so much."  
  
Tim said nothing, but hugged his mother harder.  
  
***  
  
"You want me to raise this child?" Cindy Lear said to the woman standing in front of her.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well I don't know if I can. I mean, I'd love to, but I already have two children to bring up."  
  
"Oh, I know, and I'm really sorry to ask this of you. But Tea Gardner -I believe you know her- she said that you might be able to help me."  
  
"Well, I suppose-" Cindy smiled down at the sleeping baby. "I suppose, if it's a matter of popular demand, I might be able to."  
  
"Oh, thank you! I promise, he won't be any trouble at all."  
  
"I doubt that. What did you say his name is?"  
  
"Timothy. Tim." "Well, Tim." Cindy said to the baby, who was waking up, "I would love to have you come live with us."  
  
The baby just smiled at her.  
  
Mai smiled. "I could- I mean, if it would be okay, I'll come visit every now and then."  
  
"Of course. Our other two children, Maddie and Jon, I think they're about the same age as him. They should get along pretty well."  
  
"Yes." Mai bent down and kissed her son on the head. "So, can you take him today? I have to leave."  
  
"What? I thought it would be at least a few days!"  
  
"Yes, yes, I know, and I realize how inconvenient this is and I'm really very sorry, but I have to go."  
  
"Ms. Valentine-Are you sure you'll be okay?"  
  
"Yes! I mean, thank you, but I'll be fine." The two women shook hands, and Mai left the house, already missing him. She wanted to go check up on Lebecca, but it would be to dangerous for her to go. It was to close to where Joey was. Well, if she couldn't be there, at least Lebecca was near him. Mai walked off down the bust streets, leaving her family and her first life behind her.  
  
She passed a garbage can on the street. As she walked past it, she tossed her deck into it, all save two cards.  
  
Now it's done. She thought. ***  
  
Moon Shadow: For your reading pleasure today, we have added a bonus feature to the chapter!  
  
Endless Myth: Yes! You lucky fanfic readers will be among the firsts to be submitted to our wonderful poem, entitled "Please Review!" Please enjoy!  
  
If you review our story, you'll get a special treat: a happy cat will probably sit on your feet! If you want to make us happy a nice review can't be beat- unless our school principal were to do cartwheels down the street! While you sit reading this stupid poem in the heat, you've probably figured out why we two don't compete in poetry contests-we'll stick to fanfiction if you'll just review, and as you can tell we've given up trying make this rhyme because it was a hopeless cause and was going to make you sick pretty soon, so we decided to stop now! Yea!  
  
Moon Shadow: *sniff* Wasn't that beautiful?  
  
Endless Myth: Please-  
  
Moon Shadow: Don't even say it. 


	9. Mai's Story

Endless Myth: Moon Shadow says hi. She is kind of bed ridden. You see, she was skiing but there was a huge blizzard and she had to stay at the ski resort and had to ski more than they had planned and then she played too much foosball and as a result she can't move her arms. So I have to write this. But I assure you I'm on the phone with her right now and she's helping, so really it shouldn't be that different. Maybe by the end of this chapter she'll be back.  
  
*** Chapter Nine-Mai's Story ***  
  
Lee, Matt, and Ben were sitting on the floor of Lee's room that night, the two boys watching as Lee stared into the card Shadow of Eyes.  
  
"Show me the future," Lee whispered to her sphere and it glowed bright. "I know not the whereabouts of my friend; and would glance through the veil of time to see him. So let it be." Then she took a breath and had to throw all her mind into not falling into the swirling void of the card as it searched through time for Tim. When it stopped swirling, Lee could make out, through the mist that still covered the surface of the card, two figures. One was Tim, but the other-  
  
"That's the new sophomore English teacher!" Ben said, peering over Lee's shoulder. "He was the one who-"  
  
"Shut up." Lee said, watching the scene in the card. She wished once again that she could hear what the people in the card were saying, but she couldn't, and all she could do was watch in stunned silence as the teacher advanced on Tim, and he backed off, holding the sphere close-she could see he was frightened. Then Lee cried out in fear and mental pain as the card- Tim fell unconscious to the ground, and watched the teacher standing over him, laughing.  
  
Her mind snapped out of the trance, and she was being pulled into the card- she had lost her concentration-she was losing control-  
  
Matt, seeing Lee stumble, startled by what she had seen, leapt forward and knocked she card out of her hand. "Be careful." He whispered to her, pulling her to her feet. "You have to be careful, Lee, I don't care what you have to know-you can't put your mind at risk."  
  
"Matt-I'm fine." She said, but she squeezed his hand as he let go of her arm. Behind them, Ben was standing.  
  
"Where is he?" Ben asked in a quirt, dangerous voice. "If they've hurt him, I'll kill them, I will-"  
  
"He's at the Duelist Kingdom." Lee said in a shaking voice. "That man-the teacher-he's a representative of Peter Pegasus. He comes to see my father a lot, with another man, Hoshi-they both work for Duelist Kingdom."  
  
"What does Pegasus want with Tim?" Matt asked.  
  
"The spheres." Ben answered for Lee. "They want the spheres, and they'll do anything to get them."  
  
"But then-is Lee in danger?"  
  
"I can take care of myself." Lee spoke up. "Let them try to get my sphere- they won't."  
  
"But they're already trying." Ben said. "They've already hurt you-they took Tim, and he's one of your best friends. They'll try to weaken you but hurting your family or friends-can't you see it?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Lee asked, staring. "Is my family in danger?"  
  
Ben started to answer, but was cut off by a shrill scream from downstairs. They all stood still. There was another scream, and the sound of breaking glass. Then a deeper voice spoke, and was cut off-and then there was silence.  
  
Matt, Lee, and Ben all stood stock still in a semi-circle in the middle of the room. Then, without saying anything, Lee ran downstairs, followed closely by her friends.  
  
As Lee entered the kitchen, she gasped and pulled back. Ben, coming up behind her, put a hand on her shoulder, and Matt pushed in front of her.  
  
"Oh god." He said, and stepped out of the way for Ben and Lee to see.  
  
Broken glass covered the floor, and there was no sign of Seto or Serenity. The door was hanging open, and the screen that covered it was ripped. Lee leaned against the wall and shut her eyes. She could hear Matt and Ben talking, but couldn't understand what they were saying. She took a deep breath. Ben came over to her and took her arm.  
  
"Lee-I'm taking you to your uncle's house." He said. Lee nodded wearily and started toward the door, picking up her purse on the way. But she was cut off by the sudden, shrill sound of the phone. She stood in the middle of the room and stared at the telephone.  
  
"Answer it." Matt said sensibly, when she looked over at him. She nodded again and reached for the phone. Her voice cracked as she answered.  
  
"H-hello?"  
  
"Hello, Lebecca Kaiba." The voice on the other end of the line said.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" she asked, snapping out of the trance she'd been in, all her regained defensiveness rushing back into her voice.  
  
"Does it matter?"  
  
"If you don't tell me it obviously matters to one of us."  
  
"You're a smart girl, Lebecca. Just like Tim.your brother."  
  
"Tim's not my brother." She snapped into the phone.  
  
"As you will. But whoever he is, do you know where he is, Lebecca?"  
  
"What did you do to him?" she whispered dangerously. "Where is he?"  
  
"That would be telling. But-why don't you come to the tournament this summer and find out?"  
  
"What-" she began to ask, but the line went dead, the silence soon replaced by the drone of the dial tone.  
  
"Lee?" Matt said, coming closer to her. "Lee, are you okay?"  
  
"Yes." She whispered. "I'm fine." She leaned back against him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her slim body against him as she shook with tears. He kissed her on the cheek. "It'll be fine, Lee. Don't worry. It'll be okay." He glanced over at Ben.  
  
"Look, they obviously don't know much about you two if they think you're brother and sister." Ben said consolingly. "They're not nearly as smart as they think they are if that's what they think."  
  
"Or maybe," Matt said, rocking Lee back and forth gently. "Maybe we don't know as much as we think."  
"Mom," Tim said in to the darkness, "I'm ready for you to tell me what happened."  
  
"What do you mean?" Mai asked her son. "What happened with what?" She saw that he was shivering.  
  
"You know what I mean. I'm ready to hear the truth. The whole truth." He added as she opened her mouth.  
  
"Tim-"  
  
"If you're going to lie, I don't want to hear it. So don't bother."  
  
"Tim-the truth, as you put it-it's very complicated. You're not old enough to understand it."  
  
Tim sat and stared at her, his dark eyes meeting her light ones. Finally he looked away and nodded slowly. "Okay. No, really. I get it. Makes perfect sense."  
  
"I'm sorry, it's just-"  
  
"I completely understand. I mean, why should I know the truth about myself, right?"  
  
"Tim, I wasn't lying to hurt you. I was lying to protect you."  
  
"From what?"  
  
Mai looked around the dark room bitterly. "From this. From having to use your power-" she broke off and smiled at him. "-Your extraordinary power, for evil."  
  
"They can't make me."  
  
"Yes they can." She whispered. "I'm so sorry."  
  
"Tell me the whole thing." He whispered back. "If I can't handle it you can stop-really-but I can."  
  
Mai closed her eyes, then opened them, consenting. Tim sat back and folded his arms across his chest. Mai took a deep breath and began.  
Joey opened the door of his house wearily. Then he gasped in surprise and held the door open for his niece, pulling her inside. "Lee? What the-" it looked like she had been crying, and he looked past her at Ben's car pulling away from the house. He looked back at Lee, and pulled her into a rough hug before shutting the door.  
  
"What's wrong?" he whispered into her hair. "What happened?"  
  
"My mother-father." She choked out. "Tim."  
"We were sixteen." Mai began, speaking into the darkness, knowing that her son was there, listening, absorbing every word she spoke. "We were so young. You see, we were here on this island. It was the second time the tournament was hosted, and none of us could wait to get back. Are you sure you want to hear this?"  
  
Tim nodded, then realized she couldn't see him in the dim light. "Yes," he said out loud.  
  
Mai sighed. "Everyone was here-Yugi Motou, Weevil Underwood, Rex Raptor, Espa Roba-so many people, so many duelists, we couldn't wait.  
  
"I was there, of course. I loved the game, back then, but then something happened that changed the way I see it. Peter Pegasus-he was only twenty, then, but so cruel-they say he's the grandson of the first Pegasus, but really he's a distant cousin or something. Peter-he cursed the game. No-he cursed me."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You know about the Millenium Items?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"He wanted them. Yugi knew he did, he knew the tournament was rigged-that's why he dropped out early. He gave all his star chips-you know about the star chip system?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"Alright. Yugi gave all his star chips to his best friend and left early, to protect the Millenium Puzzle-and himself. And Peter would stop at nothing-he decided that he first needed to control time before he stole the other items, so he-"  
  
"So he's trying to take the spheres." Tim finished for her. "But how did he curse you?"  
  
Mai looked down unhappily at the ground. "He knew that you would have the power to use the spheres. He knew that you could help him."  
  
"But I wasn't born. What did you have to do with it?"  
  
"I'm your mother, Tim! You being born depended on me. He cursed me-from that moment on, whenever I-whenever a girl-duels, the first monster card she plays is set free."  
  
"You've lost me."  
  
"When the game was real, when the magic was real, the monsters from the game would come to life when the game was played. But they were trapped in the cards. Sixteen years ago, before you were born, Peter Pegasus used magic to make the monsters come to life when a girl duels.  
  
Well, the world discovered that whenever I dueled a monster was set free. With the help of archaeologists, they found out about the game and the past Shadow Games, and forbade girls to duel, to stop the monsters from coming to life."  
  
Tim was thinking. "But one girl didn't follow the law, right? One girl-and she duels all the time-Every time my friend Lebecca-Lee-duels, she sets a monster free?"  
  
"Yes. They never made the evidence public, so there's no way she could've known."  
  
"But Lee-"  
  
"Tell me about Lee."  
  
"What's to tell?" Tim asked, wondering why his mother wanted to know that now.  
  
"Lee.comes into the next part of the story. I'd just like to know more about her, is all."  
  
"Well okay. Lee is.I don't know.she's just Lee. She's defensive, she's independent, and dependent at the same time. She loved to duel, but mostly just because she's not supposed to. She's beautiful. She acts twice her age, but she seems young, sometimes."  
  
"She has the other sphere."  
  
"Yes." Tim looked curiously at his mother. "Where'd she get it, anyway? You gave me mine, but Lee-"  
  
"I gave it to Lee, too. You see, Tim," Mai said, reaching out to touch her son's face, "The curse rests inside the Millenium Items. To destroy the curse, the Millenium Items must be destroyed.  
  
"That's your destiny, Tim. You and your twin sister have to use the power you have to get rid of the other items, before it's too late."  
  
"Twin?"  
  
"Lebecca."  
Back in Domino, Joey sighed across the room at his niece. "You're not going, Lee!"  
  
"Well, I'm sorry, uncle, but you can't stop me!"  
  
"Oh yes I can!"  
  
"You don't have any power over me!"  
  
"I'm in charge of you if your parents aren't here! You have to listen to me! Until they get back, I'm your legal guardian!"  
  
"Look, Joey, you went running around Duelist Kingdom when you were sixteen; why shouldn't I?"  
  
"It's different!"  
  
"How is it different?"  
  
"You're a-"  
  
"If you say that, I will kill you."  
  
"What was he going to say?" Yugi asked from the couch, watching Lee and Joey argue.  
  
"He was going to say it's different because I'm a girl."  
  
"That was not what I was going to say."  
  
"Yeah it was."  
  
"No, I wasn't!"  
  
"Don't lie!"  
  
"I'm not lying! And you're not going anywhere, miss, so don't count on it!"  
  
"Ben and Matt will go with me-it'll be perfectly safe!"  
  
"Oh, sure! You'll bring your high-school friends with you! That'll make it so much safer!"  
  
"Ben will have graduated in two weeks, when it's time to go."  
  
"Ok-ay.your college friend and your high school friend." Joey sighed. "What college is Ben going to, by the way? Does he know?"  
  
"Now you're changing the subject."  
  
"Hon, you're not going anywhere. You might as well give up, sweetheart." Joey looked at his watch. "Look, go to bed. It's late, and you have school tomorrow."  
  
"I'm not tired."  
  
"I didn't say that. I said go to bed. Now go!"  
  
Lee rolled her eyes and walked out of the room. Joey slumped down in a chair next to Yugi. Yugi looked up from the book he was reading.  
  
"You were going to say because she's a girl, weren't you." It wasn't a question.  
  
"Hey, I wasn't thinking!" Joey protested lamely. "You know what, shut up. I'm going to bed." He stalked out of the room, and Yugi went back to his book.  
In the darkness of the castle, Tim glared at his mother in disbelief. "What?" He spat out in frustration. "What are you talking about? No-you're wrong."  
  
"Tim-I knew you'd act like this-calm down."  
  
"How can I calm down? My best friend is my twin! This is not a normal situation! I can freak out if I want to!"  
  
"You knew, though."  
  
Tim took a deep breath. "Yeah, I really did. I think-I think I didn't want to admit it, but we knew, all right. Both of us." He looked up at his mother's sweet face. "You've left out one part." He said.  
  
"Have I?"  
  
"Who is my-our father?"  
  
"The best friend. The one who Yugi gave his star chips to. It was him."  
  
"Tell me his name." Tim said softly. "Tell me."  
  
Mai shuddered and said a name she had been avoiding for sixteen years. "Joey Wheeler. His name is Joey Wheeler."  
Joey Wheeler woke to the sound of someone crying. It took him a minute to focus, but then he leapt up and ran to the living room where Lee was sleeping on the couch. He sat down next to her.  
  
"C'mere, Lee." He held her close and let her cry into his neck. "Hey, calm down. It'll be okay." He stroked her tear stained face. "They'll all be all right, I promise."  
  
"I'm so scared." She whispered.  
  
"I know. So am I."  
  
"I don't want to be scared. It's not helping them-It's-I have to help them."  
  
"It's okay to be scared." He said, and she pressed against him. Hadn't Ben said that to her yesterday, when they were walking home? Maybe they were right. She closed her eyes and leaned against him. Joey held his niece tight, more like a friend would hold another friend.  
  
More like a father would hold his daughter, than an uncle his niece.  
"That's Lee's uncle." Tim told his mother.  
  
"No. That's Lee's father."  
  
"Does he know?"  
  
"No. I never told him."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"To protect him. Until the curse was broken."  
  
"When we-" He shook his head. "If we break the curse, will you tell him?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
He sighed. "How will we know how to destroy the items?"  
  
"You'll know."  
  
"How will we find them?"  
  
There was a catch in Mai's voice as she answered, "Leave that to the Dream- catcher."  
  
***  
  
A fifteen-year-old Lee Kaiba slammed the door of her house and stomped into the living room. "C'mon, dad. Mom?"  
  
"Lee, we've told you, we have to move. We've talked about it, we've decided to do it, and that's all there is to it."  
  
"I don't want to leave Domino, though! And in the middle of the school year?"  
  
"I'm with Lee on this." Her uncle Mokuba said from the other side of the room. "Seto, there's no reason for you to move now. At least wait until next year."  
  
"Mokuba, I have to be closer to work. This commute is to much."  
  
"But I'm there. I can handle Kaiba Corps until next year, and you can take full control then."  
  
Seto sighed. "No. We've already made plans."  
  
"Yes. And Lee," Serenity put in, "Lee, it's not like we didn't tell you about this."  
  
"Yeah, but-Never mind." Lee sighed and stalked out of the room. Then she came back and stuck her head in the door. "What's the name of this town?"  
  
"Nahway." Serenity said. "And there's a school near our house. Nahway High School? You'll love it."  
  
"I am so sure."  
  
"Really. They have a great drama program!" Serenity added brightly.  
  
"I am overcome with joy." Lee said, flashing her parents a fake smile. She thumped up the stairs, and the whole house shook as she slammed the door of room.  
  
In her room, Lee sat on her bed, shuffling through her deck.  
  
NHS, she thought, you had better have some pretty hot duelists. And I hope they're ready for Lee Kaiba. Because if anyone gets in my way-they're gone.  
  
Anyone. ***  
  
Moon Shadow: Hey, y'all!  
  
Endless Myth: She's back. I told you she would be. ^_^  
  
Moon Shadow: Please review! O_o! Ow! Still can't type!  
  
Endless Myth: You fool! Get away from the keyboard! *Sighs* review, please, people! 


	10. Waiting

Moon Shadow: Hey! I have some news-Endless Myth isn't co-authoring this story anymore-we kind of had an argument that I won't go into. But anyway, thanks for all the reviews, and here's the next chapter!  
  
*** Chapter Ten-Waiting ***  
  
"Tim? Are you awake?"  
  
Tim sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Kinda."  
  
"Listen-I have to tell you something. I'm leaving."  
  
"What?" he was wide-awake now.  
  
"I'm going back to warn your father. You're right, I should've told him. I'm not going to, but I have to at least warn him. For his sake, and your sister's."  
  
"But mom, how are you getting out?"  
  
"Some of these guards can be trusted. They're part of a rebel band that wants to help us. They want to help you and Lee."  
  
"But why?"  
  
Mai smiled at her son. "You're the destined. The walkers of time. Your birth was prophesied long before I even met your father."  
  
"Can't I come with you?"  
  
"Shh. No. I'm sorry to leave you. But you'll be okay. I promise. Tim?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Guard your thoughts carefully. In this place, you never know who's listening in."  
Lee slammed her locker shut and looked up at the clock on the wall, not that anyone cared if she was late to class, today the last day of school.  
  
"Lee." She heard a voice behind her and turned to see Matt standing there. "Walk to math with me?"  
  
"Sure." She said, and smiled at him.  
  
When they were a little farther from her locker, Matt turned to her. "Have you heard anything from Tim?" he asked, his voice low.  
  
"No." Lee said in a choked voice. "And I can't sense him-So they've either taken the sphere away, or he's-"  
  
"Don't think that." Matt said. He reached over and took her hand. "Maybe you're just to far away."  
  
Lee nodded and rubbed her eyes. She squeezed his hand tightly and they walked down the hall, hand in hand.  
  
Matt faced her, and started to say something, but he was cut off by a shrill voice.  
  
"Hey Lee! Hey Matt!" Claire Jekanes. Hyper, giggly, and perpetually annoying. "Can you believe it's the last day of school already? And all the seniors have graduated-" She sighed. "Like Ben Caraway-I can't believe it, we had the national Duel Monsters champion right here in good old NHS for four whole years-oh, but Lee, you've only been here since this year, right? That's so sad, because we had so much fun at the beginning of the year, right Matt?"  
  
Matt faked a grin. "That's right." He imitated Claire's thumbs up sign. "You sure missed out, Lee."  
  
Lee stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
Claire ignored Matt's sarcasm and continued. "You know, with the water balloons in science-I was so mad at that Tim Lear-would you believe that he purposely hit me in the head with a balloon?" Without waiting for an answer, she changed tracks again. "Anyway, Tina likes him, and I'm friends with her-" Claire froze mid sentence and surveyed them. " Are you two going out?"  
  
"No, they're not." A deep voice behind them made Lee shut her eyes and wince. She dropped Matt's hand and whirled around to face Dan.  
  
"Hi." She said, and went to stand next to him with a sidelong glance at Matt, who was staring intently at the ground.  
  
"Hi Lee." Dan said, and stared at Matt. "Hey Matt." He said, and waited for an answer.  
  
Matt finally looked up. "How's it going, Dan."  
  
"Pretty good." Dan draped his arm around Lee's shoulder and she shrank away uncomfortably. "Lee, you want an escort to math?"  
  
"Sure." She said quietly.  
  
"Matt, care to walk with us?"  
  
"Love to." Matt said, and the three of them walked in stony silence to the classroom. When they were right outside it, Dan held the door for Lee, who gave him a tight lipped smile and slunk inside.  
  
"Matt." Dan said, when Lee was out of hearing range. "Do me a favor and stay away from Lee."  
  
"You don't own her." Matt said bitterly. "I can be friends with her, can't I?"  
  
"I was hoping to avoid this conversation." Dan said, and leaned close. "How should I put this? The whole world knows about your feelings for Lee, and uh, I don't appreciate it. So stay away from her. Is that so hard?"  
  
Matt didn't say anything, but stared at Dan.  
  
"And, Matt? Just remember this." Dan smiled cruelly. "I got the girl." He walked away, leaving Matt to stare after his retreating back, before walking into class.  
Later, on the phone with Ben, Matt related his conversation with Dan.  
  
"And then he just walked away, like it doesn't matter-god, why does he have to be so-I hate him, Ben, I really do!"  
  
"Chill out. Listen, are you coming to the dance tonight?"  
  
"I doubt it. Are you?"  
  
"Yeah. Sara wanted to go, and I-you should come."  
  
"I don't want to see Lee with Dan."  
  
"You won't have to! Really."  
  
"Well."  
  
"You should come. We're leaving tomorrow for the tournament-you're coming with us, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Awesome. Sara's coming, too, and Lee and I know how we're getting her in!"  
  
"Really? How?"  
  
"You'll see." There was a pause. Than Ben said, "The dance starts at seven, and you had better be there. Bye." He hung up, and Matt did too.  
As Joey entered his house, he thought there was something different. All the lights were off, and there were no sounds. He slowly walked through the rooms of the house, confused and a little scared.  
  
"Joseph." As someone said his name, he whirled around and looked for the speaker.  
  
"Who's there?" he called. "Who are you?"  
  
"I'm over here." The voice said, and Joey turned once more to see a figure standing in the shadows.  
  
"Who are you?" Joey repeated. "What do you want?"  
  
"I can't tell you who I am." The figure said. "As for what I want.tomorrow, your niece is going to run away. You can't let her do that. The world will suffer if she dies."  
  
"What.? Lee? What's she going to do?"  
  
"She's going to sneak into the Duelist Kingdom. You can't let her go, Joseph. And you.you have to be careful too. Both of you."  
  
"She's.what? You know what, this is bull. Tell who you are before I call the police."  
  
"I have to go." The person said. "But please, please, be careful. You have to be careful, Joey." The figure moved away, but as she-because it was a girl- as she started to move, Joey reached out and caught her wrist, pulling her into the light.  
  
The light shone on her blonde hair, her light eyes, and her pale skin.  
  
Mai Valentine.  
  
Amazing how you can get over someone completely and then have it all come rushing back from one glance.  
  
He didn't let her go, but stared at her in disbelief. Then he resolved himself and said, "Never change, do you, Mai. Sixteen years and then you come back and pretend you never left. Some ego you got."  
  
"Yami let me in. I'm sorry."  
  
"I could kill him." Joey murmured, and let go of her wrist. She backed away from him and rubbed her wrist. "I'm sorry." Joey said. "I didn't mean to hurt you." He was referring to her bruised wrist.  
  
"I'll be fine."  
  
"Why did you come back?"  
  
"To warn you."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"You're in danger-I couldn't let you be hurt."  
  
"I guess it didn't occur to you that I could take care of myself? I'm not a stupid teenager anymore, Mai. Even if you still see me that way."  
  
"I don't-"  
  
"Just leave."  
  
"Please don't be mad at me-"  
  
"Oh, don't worry. Mai, I've been looking for you for sixteen years!"  
  
"I've been avoiding you for sixteen years." she shot back, her voice steady.  
  
"Then why come and warn me away from danger."  
  
"It's all one reason."  
  
" So tell me."  
  
Mai winced, thinking how much he sounded like Tim-or Tim sounded like him, she supposed. "Because.I guess I love you, Joey. Strange as it might sound, I think I still love you."  
  
"Why does that sound familiar?"  
  
"Please-"  
  
"You broke my heart." He said softly.  
  
Mai looked at him, then moved forward into his arms.  
  
"I'm so sorry." She said, her arms around him. "Can't we start over?"  
  
"Yeah." He breathed into her hair. "I guess we can." He squeezed her tightly, and they stood there for a minute. The Joey held her away from him. "Were you serious?" he asked. "Is Lee actually going to sneak into the Duelist Kingdom?"  
  
"Yes. To save her brother." Mai said. It didn't matter; there were no secrets anymore.  
  
"Brother?"  
  
"Tim." Mai said. "Your son."  
  
Joey stared at her. "Explain." He said, his voice hard.  
  
Mai took a breath and began.  
Matt walked in the door of the school, hearing the music from the gym pulse through the air outside the building. He sighed and walked down the hall.  
  
Why am I here? He thought miserably. To see Lee with Dan- I should leave. I'll explain to Ben later.  
  
He turned to leave, but he heard someone calling his name and saw Lee standing outside the door of the gym.  
  
"Matt! I didn't know you were coming!"  
  
"Neither did I. But I did! And now I've come, and it was awesome, and now I'm leaving. Bye!" But he walked toward her in spite of himself. She pulled him into the gym, into the burst of music and people, flashing lights and movement.  
  
"Lee-" "Come hang out with us! Ben and Sara and I are just sitting by ourselves."  
  
"I thought Dan was coming." Matt said, watching Lee. She looked fabulous.  
  
"He's not here yet." Lee said, biting her lip. "C'mon." she tugged on his arm until he started moving, pulling him over to where Ben and Sara were sitting.  
  
He sat down next to Ben, and whispered in his ear, "I can't believe you talked me into this."  
  
"Hey, I was blackmailed too. Join the club."  
  
"Hey guys." Tina had joined them, and she was surveying the group hopefully. "Lee, Ben-have any of you seen Tim around? I didn't see him at school today, and then I called and he wasn't home."  
  
"I haven't seen him." Lee said.  
  
"Any idea where he might be?"  
  
"None. No idea." Lee said, and Tina smiled wistfully.  
  
"Okay then. Well, I'll see you guys later. Congratulations on graduation, Sara! You too, Ben." She walked off. Matt turned to Lee and raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Liar." He said, shoving her playfully.  
  
"I didn't lie! I haven't seen him and I don't know where he is!"  
  
"You could've told her."  
  
"Oh, that would've gone over well. 'Sorry, Tina, but your boyfriend has been abducted by a homicidal maniac bent on killing him and then stealing the powerful magic that he controls. So he probably won't be coming to the dance.' I'd love to tell her that!"  
  
"Well, maybe "homicidal maniac" is exaggerating a bit, hmm?"  
  
"Not really." Lee said, leaning back. "But I've just got to wait tonight out, I guess. Tomorrow I can do something about it."  
  
"Let's make the wait go faster. Come dance with me."  
  
Lee blushed furiously. "Sorry. Dan would-"  
  
"Oh come on! Dan wouldn't get upset over one dance, would he?"  
  
"You don't know Dan," Lee said, but she let Matt pull her out onto the dance floor.  
  
"I thought you didn't like to dance." She whispered into his ear.  
  
"I don't. But there's nothing else to do."  
  
"You lie. You just wanted to dance with me."  
  
"That too." Matt said, twirling her around. "But that wasn't the main reason or anything."  
  
"Sure. How's your mom doing?" Lee changed the subject.  
  
"She's busy as usual. Still feather-brained."  
  
"That's mean."  
  
"It's true. She came out of her office last night long enough to ask me how school was going and what was new with Tim and Diane."  
  
"Why is that funny? Wait-who's Diane?"  
  
"Oh, I forgot. You weren't here then. Tim was briefly dating a girl named Diane in eighth grade."  
  
"Ah. How long have Ben and Sara been together?"  
  
"Third week of sixth grade."  
  
"That's really sad."  
  
"Yeah." Matt pulled Lee up to him. "It was really, really funny, though, when he was trying to ask her out."  
  
"Really. Why was I not informed."  
  
"You are now. I asked her for him eventually."  
  
"This is interesting. Now I can make fun of him."  
  
"No you can't. She said no, and then she asked him out the next day."  
  
"Go Sara." Lee said, astonished.  
  
"Well, yeah." The song ended. "Let's go outside."  
  
"Okay." Lee let Matt pull her out the door into the school atrium. "I can't believe sophomore year went so fast!"  
  
"If you had been here as a freshman, you would believe it." "I was at Domino High."  
  
"Why'd you move?"  
  
"My dad's work, I guess."  
  
"I'm sorry you had to leave."  
  
"I was too." Lee looked down. There was silence for a moment, and then Lee said, "D'you know what the last thing I said to him was?"  
  
She meant Tim. "What?"  
  
"We were fighting about Dan, and you, and it was pointless-why does he have to be so stubborn?" she cried out in frustration, and when she said that, the wind started blowing, sending a cold burst over her, brushing her hair into her face.  
  
"I talked to him." Matt said.  
  
"What did he say?" Lee asked in alarm, thinking of things that she had said about Matt that she hadn't meant.  
  
"Nothing important. What should he have said?"  
  
"Nothing. I'm sorry." Lee said, and moved closer to Matt. He turned to face her and put his hands on her shoulders, holding her close. She looked up at him and sighed. "But if I hadn't moved, I wouldn't have met him. Or.you."  
  
Matt nodded, then leaned down and put his mouth on hers, kissing her gently. Lee sighed inwardly and wrapped her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her waist. She stood still and let him, because the world was spinning, and she missed Tim so much, and she hated Dan, and what would he do if he saw her now, with Matt, but she couldn't pull away because she loved Matt so much, and she was aching, her whole body was aching for him, and he was the only thing that mattered in the whole wide world.  
  
When Matt released her, she pulled back from him and stared at him.  
  
"I'm sorry." He said. "I didn't mean to."  
  
"Matt-" she began, and then she broke down. "Don't be sorry-I'm sorry-It's my fault-"  
  
"What's your fault?"  
  
"Everything. I really like you, Matt, I do-"  
  
"So you do like me." He said triumphantly.  
  
"Yes-but I'm going with Dan-"  
  
"So break up with Dan!" Matt grabbed her hands and held them up.  
  
"I can't."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Matt, I'm sorry, I love you, but-I just can't."  
  
"You must have a reason." He said.  
  
"I can't tell you." She said, but then she saw the look on his face and relented. "Matt." She took one of her hands away and rested it on his cheek. "He'll turn me into the police for dueling." She said softly.  
Mai sank down onto a couch and watched Joey's face change to one of utter disbelief. He said only one thing.  
  
"We have to tell Lee."  
  
Mai jumped up. "No! We can't tell Lee anything about this. We have to wait until the last possible moment. She can't know!"  
  
"Why not? So she can be in the dark, like I was?"  
  
"I told you, I couldn't tell you-"  
  
"Mai-god, what'd you think I was gonna do?"  
  
"I didn't know." Mai said. "I didn't want you to be hurt, Joey."  
  
"Good job." He said bitterly. "Does my sister know?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And Seto? Him too, I suppose."  
  
"Both of them."  
  
"Great."  
  
"Joey-I loved you, can't you see that? Don't be so blind-I was protecting you!"  
  
"I loved you, too-I trusted you, and you threw it away."  
  
"I threw you away to save you." Mai said. "Yes. That's something I would do." She looked up at him. "I still love you."  
  
"And I you." Joey put his hands on either side of her head.  
  
She shook him off. "No, Joey-come dawn, Peter will start to look for me, he'll know I'm gone. This is the first place he'll look. This is why I didn't come back. I don't think I can leave you again."  
  
"So don't. I'll protect you-or we can call the police-"  
  
"Don't you remember what it was like to have Pegasus after you? To have someone read your mind? It's the same."  
  
Joey held her close. "Do they really have to destroy all the millenium items?"  
  
"Yes." Mai said. "But they can do it."  
  
"I'm not worried about that. I just want to know what Yugi's going to say."  
Matt looked blankly at Lee. "That's blackmail." He said.  
  
"No shit, Sherlock!" Lee snapped. She stepped back from him, taking her hand off his face.  
  
"I'm just trying to help you, Lee!"  
  
"I don't want your help!" she hissed. "So-please just do what Dan asked and stay away from me. I don't need that. Not now." She broke away from him and walked off quickly out of the atrium into the darkness of the school parking lot.  
  
Looking out through a window inside, Ben saw Lee running away and tapped Sara on the shoulder. "What happened?" he asked her.  
  
"I don't know." Sara said. "I hope Matt's okay, though."  
  
"I'm gonna go see what's up."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Ben ran out of the gym, calling Matt's name. When he found him, he stopped short at the look on his face.  
  
"What happened?" Ben asked, out of breath. "What did you say to her? Where's she going?"  
  
"I don't know and I don't care!" Matt answered furiously. Ben groaned.  
  
"Well, why not?"  
  
"I'm leaving. See you tomorrow, Ben."  
  
"Look, this is not going to be a pleasant trip if you and Lee are fighting!"  
  
"I'm not fighting with anybody!"  
  
"Then what's wrong?"  
  
"Ask her!" Matt said, and stomped off. Ben sighed and sank down on a bench. Sara came and sat next to him.  
  
"I'm glad I don't have to put up with that kind of thing." Ben said. "It's to complicated for me."  
  
"You'll never have to put up with it again." Sara said, leaning her head on his shoulder. 'I promise."  
  
Ben put his arm around her. "I'm not looking forward to this tournament, Sara."  
  
"You'll do fine."  
  
"Everyone will challenge me, and I can't do it. I duel that much without going insane. And now Lee and Matt are fighting-Jesus, this will not be fun."  
  
"You'll be fine." Sara said. "You'll be fine and you'll beat everyone because you're excellent."  
  
"Thanks." He said, and she smiled at him with her sweet face. Hanging off her belt, not visible beneath her shirt, the Millennium Ring glowed bright.  
  
***  
  
"Tim!"  
  
Tim turned when he heard someone call his name. A sophomore in high school, he had grown up with the Lear family. The Lears. Seven children, a small house near the high school that two of the children attended.  
  
He saw Claire Jekanes running towards him and stopped to answer her.  
  
"Tim." She panted, "You're never going to believe this-you know the new girl?"  
  
"Yeah." He answered. His friends Ben Caraway and Matt Delacorte had come up behind him. "What about her?"  
  
Claire gestured impatiently. "She got a dueling deck from somewhere!"  
  
"What?" Ben asked. "That's illegal!"  
  
"I know! Oh, you should have seen it, though, Ben-you would have appreciated this-she just beat Dan Maccio into the dust!"  
  
"She challenged him?" Tim marveled.  
  
"No-he was bugging her, and she pulled out her deck and told him to get lost or else-and he got his deck out and then my vision was blocked and I couldn't hear what she said, but they started to play and five minutes later she had beaten him!"  
  
"I actually don't find that interesting at all." Ben told Claire. "So she beat Dan. It's not hard."  
  
"But she's a girl!"  
  
"Yeah. And."  
  
"You should go challenge her, Ben!" Claire said excitedly. "Isn't it like, your responsibility or something?"  
  
"Shouldn't have said that." Matt advised Claire.  
  
"Why not? It's true!"  
  
"Maybe so, but see, now, Ben is going to shut up and not talk forever and Tim is going to run off and challenge this girl to a duel. You watch and see."  
  
"Well, I think you're wrong." Claire declared, and turned back to Ben. "Are you going to?"  
  
Ben didn't say anything.  
  
"Okay, now Tim is going to go do something stupid." Matt whispered to Claire.  
  
"Well, if Ben's not going to challenge her, than I will!" Tim said, and started off in the direction Claire had come from.  
  
"What'd I tell you." Matt said. He grabbed Ben's arm. "C'mon. We have to stop him before he kills himself."  
  
"Stupid kid." Ben muttered, but he followed Matt after Tim.  
  
Tim broke through a circle of teenagers that were surrounding a dueling table to see a small, blonde girl with her legs crossed sitting on one side. Her opponent, a thin, wiry freshman that Tim didn't know that well was gathering up his cards and walking away, defeated. He stopped and leaned towards Tim.  
  
"If you challenge her, be careful." He pushed his way through the crowd. The girl stood up, gathered her cards into a pile, and started to leave.  
  
"Wait." Tim said, and stepped forward. She turned, and their eyes met.  
  
"What do you want?" She asked in a low voice.  
  
"To duel you." Tim said.  
  
"You challenging me?"  
  
"I'm challenging you."  
  
She sat down again. "Let's go." She said, and began to shuffle her cards. Tim sat down across from her.  
  
"Sacrifices?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Life points?"  
  
"Preferably, yes."  
  
"You're funny."  
  
"Eight thousand."  
  
"You go first."  
  
"Thank you." She scanned the cards in her hand. "One card in defense mode. And I'll play one card, face down. That's all."  
  
"Okay. I'll play Change of Heart and see what your monster is." He moved it to his side of the field. "Ooh. Mystical Elf. Nice. Swordstalker in attack mode. And I'll attack-"  
  
The girl flipped a card up. "Mirror Force. You'd better think faster that that." She said, as he set his monster in the graveyard. "It's my turn again, and I'll play the Lord of Dragons in attack mode, and the Flute of Summoning Dragon to summon these." She held up two Blue-Eyes and watched his face change to one of complete surprise.  
  
"There are only four blue-eyes cards in the world." Tim said, narrowing his eyes. "Who are you?"  
  
The girl smiled and tossed her hair. "Lebecca Kaiba. Call me Lee."  
  
"Kaiba? But that would make you-"  
  
"Does it matter? Let's just play." Lee scanned the field with her eyes. "I could be wrong, but if I attacked with both of my dragons, wouldn't that take you six thousand life points down?"  
  
"Hey, you can do math." Tim said crossly. "Congratulations."  
  
"A person in your position really shouldn't be making wisecracks."  
  
Ben and Matt shoved through the group of watching people top the front. Ben looked at the field and groaned.  
  
"What's wrong?" Matt asked. "I can't tell."  
  
"Tim's down to two thousand life points."  
  
"Is that bad?"  
  
"Unless he has some ingenious strategy-and, knowing Tim, I really doubt that-up his sleeve, then, yes, it's bad."  
  
"So.she's kicking his ass."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"O-kay."  
  
Tim reached for a card in his hand. "I'll play Raigeki-and destroy both your dragons." He said, and Lee smiled slightly. "Better than I thought. What's your name?"  
  
"Tim Lear."  
  
"Tim Lear-I hate to break this to you, but it's my turn again, and the card I'll use to wipe you out is-"  
  
"Ms. Kaiba!" a voice broke in. "I'll thank you to explain what you're doing!"  
  
Lee gulped and looked up into the face of one of the teachers, Mrs. Vendalin. Tim looked back and forth between the teacher and the girl.  
  
"I can explain." He said, making a decision.  
  
"Tim Lear? You should know better than this! Please do!"  
  
"You see, um, she didn't want to play." Tim said, making it up as he went. "It was my fault. I challenged her, and I, uh, wouldn't let her leave until she dueled me."  
  
"I see. And where did she get this?" Mrs. Vendalin held up the deck that Lee had collected off the field up disdainfully.  
  
"Oh-that." Tim said, his mind racing. "It's his." He whirled around and pointed at Matt, who was, like everyone else, standing there listening to him. "Yeah. It belongs to him. I made him lend it to Lebecca for the game."  
  
"Oh-yep!" Matt said, after Ben prodded him in the side sharply. "It's mine. I lent it to her." He gave the teacher a huge fake grin.  
  
"Well then." The teacher said. "I'm not sure I believe this. Tim, your mother will be hearing from me. And Lebecca-don't ever let me or any other teacher catch you doing this ever again. I'll let you off easy this time. Both of you," she said, pointing at Tim and Lee, "Both of you, see me tomorrow. You've earned yourselves detention for a month. You," she said to Matt, "Take this back." She handed Lee's deck to him and walked out of the group, herding people away as she went.  
  
Soon the only people left were Tim, Lee, Matt, and Ben. Lee sighed and shook her head.  
  
"Thanks." She snapped at Tim, "But I can take care of myself." She turned on her heel and left. Tim turned to his friends.  
  
"She's really-" he began, but Matt interrupted.  
  
" Cute?"  
  
"Good." Tim finished, throwing a look at Matt. "And she also-Oh shit." He was staring after Lee as she walked down the sidewalk. Ben and Matt followed his eyes to the figure of Dan Macio, running quickly after Lee's retreating back.  
  
"Oh god." Ben said. "C'mon." They ran after Dan, running into the growing darkness as clouds gathered overhead.  
  
*** Moon Shadow: I'm really tired. I think I'll go to bed and sleep for the rest of my life.*yawning* please review. 


	11. They're Dead

Moon Shadow: Hay again! Second to last chapter here.I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, okay? So don't sue me.  
  
*** Chapter Eleven-"They're Dead" ***  
  
Tim turned and looked at the guard. "My mother said I can trust you." He said quietly.  
  
"Yes. I am in the service of the walkers of the winds of time."  
  
"How do you know that's me?"  
  
"You carry the sphere of the past. I could easily tell."  
  
"Is Clark your real name?"  
  
"No."  
  
"What is your real name?"  
  
The guard finally looked back at him. He was quiet for a minute, then he lifted his hands and pulled his hood away from his face. "My name is Tristan Taylor." He said finally. "I'm one of the Dream-catchers. And you're Tim Wheeler, the boy windwalker."  
  
"Dream-catchers? My mom said something about them."  
  
"Yes. Or Dream-readers, as some call us. We read the unconscious thoughts of the human mind. The thoughts you haven't yet thought."  
  
"That's amazing."  
  
"There's one thing." Tristan stared straight at Tim. "When you become a Dream-catcher, your senses become alert. But the price must be paid." He passed a hand over his eyes, and Tim looked closely at him for the first time-he was blind.  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"When your senses are so in tune, you no longer need your eyes. So it's a small price to pay for the gift of the Dream-catcher."  
  
"Are there others?"  
  
"Many. My old friend Ryou Bukura is one. And he is the greatest."  
  
"I've heard of him. He had the Millenium Ring?"  
  
"Yes. But not any more. He passed it on to another."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Tristan looked at him with unseeing eyes. "I knew your father. Joey. Don't worry. We'll get you out of here, and you can destroy the items and free the world from the curse. The Dream-catchers will help you. We will succeed."  
  
"Do you have strong mental power?"  
  
"Very strong."  
  
"Can you help me send a message? To my sister. There's some things she needs to know."  
Lee stared at Ben. "No! No way! Put those scissors down, Ben!"  
  
"Lee, if we're going to disguise you as Tim, you have to have shorter hair!" Ben sighed. "I'm sorry! It's true!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Look, it's either this or pull your hair up in a hat all the time."  
  
"Fine!" Lee clutched at her hair. "But no one is going to cut my hair. Especially you!"  
  
"Well, if you're sure." Ben relented. He put the scissors down and handed Lee a folded piece of paper. "It's Tim's invitation. I got it out of his room. It should get you in."  
  
"Okay. Is Matt still coming?"  
  
"I think. What did you two argue about last night, anyway?"  
  
"It's not important-" Lee began, but she froze. "It's Tim." She whispered.  
  
Lee?   
  
Tim? Oh god, you're-   
  
Lee, listen. I don't have much time to talk to you, and there's a lot that I have to tell.   
  
But-where are you? What happened? Tim-are you all right?   
  
I'm fine. Lee, don't interrupt, and pay attention. We're twins.   
  
Wha-   
  
I told you, don't say anything! Someone could be listening. I'll explain. No.there's not enough time. I'll summarize. Our parents are my mother and your Uncle Joey. Okay? No, don't say anything. Just listen. We're something- I'm not sure-it's our destiny or something like that. We have to use the Millenium spheres to destroy the other Millenium items.   
  
Tim-   
  
Lebecca. He pleaded. Don't. Really. We have to do that because right now, every time a girl duels, the Millenium items set one of the monsters from the cards free. They come to life, Lee.   
  
Wait, hold on. Lee said shakily. Every time I've ever dueled, I've freed a monster from the game free?   
  
Exactly. And, because we're the only ones who can stop this, Peter Pegasus is trying to kill us. He was the one who fixed the items to free the monsters.   
  
How do you know this?   
  
I know a lot now. But-he doesn't want us to destroy the items, because the monsters will be sealed back in the cards.   
  
The only reason I believe what you're saying is because Yami told us something like this. Remember? Didn't he have to seal the monsters a millennia ago?   
  
Right. But Peter wants the monsters to be free. He wants to take over the world or something.   
  
Who told you that?   
  
I'm just guessing. Most people want that, so why not him?   
  
Tim.   
  
Yes?   
  
Let me get this straight, We have to us our mental power to destroy the Millenium items-and all the spirits within them-so that monsters from the cards won't terrorize the planet.   
  
That's it.   
  
And we're twins.   
  
Hey, sis.   
  
And our parents are Joey Wheeler and.?   
  
Mai Valentine. You'd like her.   
  
Tim. We're coming to get you.   
  
No. Don't. I'm fine, but they're trying to kill us, and they won't kill me until you're with me.   
  
I'm coming. Are my parents there?   
  
Who are your parents now?   
  
Are Seto and Serenity Kaiba there?   
  
Well. she could feel him hesitating.  
  
Tell me, Tim   
  
Lee.they're dead.   
  
What?   
  
They were here. But they murdered them They're dead. I'm sorry, Lee.   
  
I'll kill him. She thought fiercely. I'll kill him. I don't care who he is-Peter Pegasus- I'll kill him.   
  
Lee, calm down-I have to go.   
  
Why?   
  
It's too far-it's too hard-   
  
Tim-   
  
Don't come. He managed to say before they lost contact. Don't come here.   
  
Lee turned to Ben, who was watching her with concern. "Tim's alive." She said. "I'm going there. Let's get Matt and Sara and go-the boats going to leave."  
  
"Are you alright?" Ben asked lowly.  
  
Lee faced him. "He's my brother." She said. "We're twins."  
  
"You-and Tim?"  
  
"Yes. Let's go. Get your deck."  
  
"I got it." Ben slung his backpack up on his shoulder. "Do you have your invitation?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Lee?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Hat."  
  
"Oh, right." Lee jammed her long hair into the hat Ben threw to her. "How do I look?"  
  
"Lovely." Ben said. "Go." He pushed her out of the door. "We have to pick up Matt and Sara."  
Joey walked into the kitchen and found Yugi reading the newspaper.  
  
"Hey Yug." He mumbled, and stumbled through the kitchen, getting breakfast. The he remembered something and whirled around. "Yugi," he said, "Is Lee here?"  
  
"No. She left a little while ago. Said she was going to Ben's house, and then they were all going to hang out, you know, today being the first day of vacation."  
  
"Damn." Joey said, and turned to see Mai walking blearily into the room. "Mai, what time does the boat lave?"  
  
She looked thoughtful and then said, "About twelve, I think. Why?" She saw his face. "Did she already leave?" "It's almost twelve. I gotta go find her." Joey ran through the halls of the house, pulling on his coat and stepping into his shoes. "If I can't find her before then, I'm going to the Duelist Kingdom myself!" he called.  
  
Yugi was listening-except he wasn't Yugi anymore.  
  
Yami got up and grabbed his deck, putting on his own shoes. "Joey!" he yelled. "You can't go by yourself! If you go then I'm coming!"  
  
"Take me with you." Mai protested, following Yami to the door. "Honestly, Joey, let me come!"  
  
Joey sighed and faced her. He grabbed her hands. "You are staying here." He said softly, so Yami couldn't hear. "You're beautiful, and I love you, but you're staying here." He let go of her hands and started out the door.  
  
Mai stood in the doorway. "Joseph!" She yelled, "You're being stupid! And it's not the first time!"  
  
Joey rolled his eyes. "We'll be back!" he said to her. "I bet they won't even let Lee on the boat!"  
Ben stepped up to the registration desk. "Ben Caraway." He said. He held up his invitation. "And she's coming with me." He continued, pointing at Sara.  
  
The man behind the desk punched at the keyboard. "Ben Caraway." he murmured as he typed. "Ben Caraway-Ah." A picture of Ben showed up on the screen with a beep. "Everything seems all right." He glanced at Sara. "Please know that if she attempts to duel or give dueling advice, the latter more commonly know as 'backseat dueling' you can be disqualified and she can be arrested."  
  
"Yes." Ben said, nodding.  
  
"Well, you're qualified." The man said. "Please enter."  
  
Ben and Sara walked past the counter into the bright sunlight of the bay. They could see Lee through the windows.  
  
"Tim Lear." Lee said to the man, trying to deepen her voice.  
  
The man typed in the name and a picture of Tim showed up on the screen. The man scanned Lee. "Seems right." He said. "Could I please see your invitation?"  
  
Lee held it up.  
  
"You're qualified. Please enter." The man looked past Lee. "Next, please." Lee ducked through the door with Matt close behind her, avoiding being seen.  
  
Ben, Sara, Matt, and Lee stood on the dock, staring into the bright sunlight, oblivious to the chatter of the other people. Lee looked out onto the ocean, the wind blowing into her face as she looked in the direction of her captive brother, and of her fate.  
  
***  
  
Lebecca backed up into the wall, the rough surface scratching her back. She was moving away from the figure approaching her through the rain.  
  
The fog blurred her vision, and the rain made her blonde hair stick to her neck, but she faced him.  
  
"Dan, leave me alone." She cried, the wind picking up her cry and carrying it through the sky. She could hear the echo. Me alone.alone.alo.  
  
The wind picked up her cry and carried it off until it faded and melted into nothingness.  
  
***  
  
Moon Shadow: One chapter after left. Expect it soon, but while you're waiting, why not write me a review? 


	12. Epilogue

Moon Shadow: I have nothing to say except this is the last chapter, and thanks to everybody for their reviews and for putting up with me. Here it is:  
  
*** That night, on the boat, Ben Caraway stood alone on the deck, staring out at the ocean, the moonlight shining on his red hair.  
  
"Ben?" he heard a soft voice.  
  
Ben turned and saw Sara standing a little behind him.  
  
"Hey, " he said, and reached out for her hand, pulling her next to him.  
  
"Am I bothering you?" she asked sleepily, resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Of course not. You never bother me." He answered, pulling her close. "Never."  
  
They stood there for a minute. Then Sara pulled away and looked up at him. "Do you love me?" she asked quietly.  
  
Ben looked at her. "Yes." He said.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Sara." Ben said, taking her hands. "Yes. I love you."  
  
Sara smiled and leaned forward. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you too." She said, and pulled his head down to hers, kissing him.  
  
When she released him, she let him hold her for a minute before whispering to him, "If you love me, Ben, then you'll do me a favor."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Ben." Sara leaned close to him so she was speaking into his ear. Her voice was barely a breath as she whispered, "Kill the Walkers. Kill Tim and Lee."  
  
*** TO BE CONTINUED IN WINDWALKER. 


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